LAKELAND, FL – Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander received a question he couldn’t answer.
It was about the Hall of Fame.
More specifically, it was about the logo that will appear on his Hall of Fame plaque when he’s inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
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“I’m not ready to answer that question yet,” Verlander said.
CARLOS MONARREZ: Justin Verlander a Detroit Tiger for life, and that’s never changing
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, right, shakes hands with president of baseball operations Scott Harris during his introductory press conference at the 34 Club of Joker Marchant Stadium on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Verlander continued, discussing the topic Feb. 12, in the early days of spring training. “I swear, I really try not to think about the Hall of Fame and what that means. I just take it one year at a time and see what happens – and see where my heart is.”
The 43-year-old revealed his heart is in two places: Detroit and Houston. The Tigers and Astros were the only two teams he wanted to join during free agency before the 2026 season.
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The Tigers didn’t pursue Verlander until right-hander Reese Olson underwent season-ending right shoulder surgery in early February. Eight days later, the Tigers signed Verlander to a one-year, $13 million contract, installing him as the fifth starter in their rotation.
EVERYTHING HE SAID: Justin Verlander had a lot to say about return to Detroit Tigers
“Something that’s been on my mind towards the end of last year was playing for a team that had some meaning for me,” Verlander said. “I didn’t want to be a mercenary that was hopping around. I wanted to be somewhere that resonated with me. There were really two places – here and Houston – that I have a lot of history with, and I have history with the fanbase.”
[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
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Verlander pitched for the Tigers from 2005-17 and has returned for 2026. Between those stints, he pitched for the Astros in whole or partial seasons in 2017-24, while also making 16 starts for the New York Mets in 2023 and 29 starts for the San Francisco Giants in 2025.
It’s going to be Tigers or Astros for the Hall of Fame cap.
With the Tigers, Verlander collected 183 wins with a 3.49 ERA in 2,511 innings across 380 starts. With the Astros, Verlander registered 73 wins with a 2.71 ERA in 810⅓ innings in 130 starts.
As for accolades, Verlander won 2006 American League Rookie of the Year, 2011 AL Cy Young and 2011 AL MVP with the Tigers. He then joined the Astros, winning the 2017 World Series, 2019 AL Cy Young, 2022 World Series and 2022 AL Cy Young. Six of his nine All-Star selections came with the Tigers – with the other three coming with the Astros.
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HE’S BACK: Justin Verlander returns to Tigers as ‘a different man’
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, left, hugs manager A.J. Hinch after his introductory press conference at the 34 Club of Joker Marchant Stadium on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.
Verlander played for Tigers manager A.J. Hinch with the Astros from 2017-19.
Hinch became the Tigers’ manager in October 2020.
“Honestly, it was just like two friends catching up,” Verlander said. “We have a ton of history together. We had a great relationship already, and we’ve stayed in touch since Houston. It was just fun to catch up with him. He was telling me about the organization a lot, how things have changed here and how good some of these guys are. We talked about pitching a lot. We talked about the staff a lot. We talked about Skub [Tarik Skubal] a lot. It was fun.”
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Verlander plans to pitch until he is 45 years old – which would make 2028 his final season – as he pushes for 300 wins, needing 34 more to reach the historic milestone. If 2028 is indeed it for him, he would become eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2034.
He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
The only question is which logo will appear on his plaque.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple,Spotify) ]
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Justin Verlander undecided on Tigers or Astros for Hall of Fame cap