Baseball fans know that one day, iconic starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer will be enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
While these two hurlers have combined for four World Series titles, over 6,900 strikeouts, more than 480 wins and six Cy Young Awards, the one thing they haven’t been able to accomplish is defeating Father Time.
Are Verlander and Scherzer Hanging On Too Long?
Veteran Tigers Pitcher Justin Verlander Wasn’t Ready To Call It a Career
Verlander, who last season at age 42, was a shadow of himself, when with the San Francisco Giants, he went 4-11 with a 3.85 ERA, decided this past off season not to retire as he agreed on February 10, 2026, to a one-year $13 million-dollar contract to where his career started, with the Detroit Tigers.
Currently, in his 21st MLB season, Verlander has due to a March 30th injury against the Arizona Diamondbacks, taken the mound for only one game, where in three and two-third innings, posted un-Verlander-like numbers in surrendering six hits, five runs and striking out only one batter during a 9-6 Diamondbacks win at Chase Field against the Tigers.
This future Hall of Famer, whose injury is left hip inflammation, has been recently cranking it up during some intense bullpen sessions. Still, he’s quite some ways from resuming his storied MLB career.
“We’re really trying to just get through the bullpens without symptoms,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “It’s why we’re really just doing one step at a time. The hope is that he’s able to add more and more every session. He’s been able to do that slowly, but I don’t know until we get him past this little hump of the bullpens being asymptomatic.”
Back on July 4th, 2005, Verlander with the Tigers embarked on his Hall of Fame career, which over the years saw him set records and make headlines while pitching for the Houston Astros, New York Mets, a second tenure with the Astros, Giants and this year a second tenure as a Tiger.
While a compelling argument could be made about it being a great story in Verlander coming back to finish his career as a Tiger, truth be told, perhaps he should have called it after last season a career as opposed in trying to squeeze out another season in his storied career.
Fireballer Max Scherzer Still On Disabled List
Similar to Verlander’s situation, Scherzer wasn’t ready after last season to call it a career.
Scherzer, affectionately known as ‘Mad Max’, spent last season with the Toronto Blue Jays on where for much of the first half to the season, he was on the injured reserved list and for the year ended up 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA along with 82 strikeouts in only 85 games played.
While it’s a fact that Scherzer helped the Blue Jays win the American League East Division and advance to the World Series, the truth remains that at 41 years of age, ”Mad Max” should have last October called it a career.
Not ready to hang up his spikes, Scherzer, back on February 4, 2026 re-signed with the Jays to a one-year $15.5 million dollar contract and has so far found himself for much of the first five weeks or so of the 2026 season on the disabled list
Scherzer, who as of May 4th finds himself with a 1-3 record and a 9.64 ERA, is currently looking to recover from right forearm tendentious along with left ankle inflammation.
Over the years Scherzer has made his mark pitching for the Diamondbacks, Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Texas Rangers before becoming a Blue Jay.
While Verlander offers tremendous guidance to a young pitcher such as Tigers ace starter Tarik Skubal and Scherzer provides the same with the likes of Blue Jays young up and coming pitcher Trey Yesavage, it is always sad to see a once star pitcher struggling mightily either on the field or to stay healthy.
Perhaps the best way to end a career is still on top like what current Blue Jays veteran ace pitcher Kevin Gausman has decided to do when prior to the season he decided at age 35 that this would be his final season.
A Closer look at Verlander and Scherzer’s Career Numbers
Currently, Verlander has 266 career wins which places him 37th on the MLB’s all time win list, only two wins shy of Hall of Famer Jim Palmer.Â
Verlander, who is 266-159 with a 3.33 ERA,, also ranks eighth all time on the MLB’s strikeout leaders with 3, 554, only 20 behind Hall of Famer the late Don Sutton for seventh spot.
Individually, Verlander is a nine time All-Star (2007, 2009-2013, 2018, 2019 and 2022.), has won two World Series Championships (2017, 2022), won the 2011 AL MVP, is a three time AL Cy Young Award winner (2011, 2019, 2022), also took home the 2011 Triple Crown Triple and began his career by winning the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year to name just some of his many individual accomplishments.
Scherzer has 222 wins which puts him in a tie with former pitchers Jerry Koosman and Tim Hudson for 78 th spot on the MLB’s All-Time win list.
Meanwhile, Scherzer, who is 222-120 with a 3.26 career ERA, is 11th on the MLB’s all-time strikeout list with 3.499 which places “Mad Max” only 10 strikeouts behind Hall of Famer Walter Johnson.
Over his career Scherzer has won three CY Young Awards (2013, 2016 and 2017), is an eight time All-Star (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021) and was named on two occasions (2013 and 2021) Baseball Digest Pitcher of the Year to name just a few of his individual awards.
Let’s just hope this year that these two pitching icons can make it back and play a majority of what should really be their final season.
Following this season, their next stop will definitely be Cooperstown for their Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech.
Main Image: Rich Storry-Imagn Images
