Justin Verlander’s Daughter Steals the Show With Perfect First Pitch Ahead of His Final Game

Justin Verlander has a 266-159 record with a 3.33 career ERA in 556 starts.

Justin Verlander’s Daughter Steals the Show With Perfect First Pitch Ahead of His Final Game

Justin Verlander and his daughter Genevieve (Image via X/@BRWalkoff/X/@MLB)

Justin Verlander will make his final MLB start on Saturday. Before this big game, he addressed the Detroit Tigers fans at Comerica Park on Friday. During this, his daughter stole the show with a perfect first pitch.

The 10-time All-Star was joined by his wife, Kate Upton, and their children, Genevieve and Bellamy Brooks. His daughter Genevieve was scheduled to throw the ceremonial first pitch before the Tigers’ series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

There is a saying, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” This seems true in Verlander’s case. His daughter ended up throwing an absolute dart to his father, who played as the catcher.

After completing the catch, Verlander lifted his hands in the air while celebrating the pitch. He then shared a warm hug with his daughter while the crowd cheered on.

While speaking about this moment with his daughter, the veteran pitcher said that they had come to the field earlier to practice her throw. When asked where she wanted to throw the pitch from, the 7-year-old pointed towards the mound, leaving her father pumped up.

We actually came out here to the field and practiced off the mound one day. I asked her, ‘Where do you want to go? You want to go to the mound?’ And she’s like, ‘The mound.’ I’m like, that’s my girl.’

Justin Verlander told the reporters before the game

When it comes to pitches and strikes, Verlander is obviously regarded as one of the best in the game. He currently sits 8th on the all-time strikeouts list with 3,554 strikeouts and is one of the 20 members of the MLB 3,000-strikeout club.

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Justin Verlander claims he will always be a Detroit Tiger

Justin Verlander will make his 557th and final MLB start on Saturday. In an address to the fans, he claimed that he will always be a Detroit Tiger.

Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander (Image via X/@mlbtraderumors)

Detroit is where Verlander’s MLB career started. He was the second overall pick in the 2004 draft by the Tigers and made his MLB debut in 2005.

He spent his first 13 seasons with the Tigers, winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2006, the AL MVP and the Cy Young Award in 2011, and earning 6 All-Star nominations.

In August 2017, he was traded to the Houston Astros. There, he went on to win 2 more Cy Young Awards and picked up 2 World Series championships. So, while he had a successful stint in Houston, he considers himself more of a Tiger-for-life.

Your love and support has meant the world to me. … That love and support has solidified for me that I am, and always will be, a Detroit Tiger.

Justin Verlander said

After his stay with the Astros, Verlander moved to New York and joined the Mets. This move saw him reunite with his former teammate, Max Scherzer.

However, the move to the NL East did not work out well, and he was traded back to the Astros in August 2023. Following a second spell with the Astros, Verlander joined the San Francisco Giants in 2025.

He started 29 games last year and went 4-11 with a 3.85 ERA. He had previously expressed his desire to pitch well late into his 40s. After becoming a free agent once again, he returned to the Tigers.

His return, though, did not go as planned. In his first start, he suffered hip inflammation. He was then scheduled to return in June. However, a calf strain delayed his return.

This start on Saturday will be his first start at Comerica Park since 2017. While the Tigers have already been eliminated from the playoffs, he wants to go out there and compete.

As for his Hall of Fame induction, he will be eligible for this in 2032. As per the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA), a player must be retired for at least 5 full seasons before they are eligible to appear on the ballot. Given his numbers, he will likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

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