Updated April 4, 2026, 11:59 a.m. ET
Detroit — It was a question only Tigers’ broadcaster Jason Benetti could ask, and for a few minutes, it stumped Justin Verlander.
Benetti asked what the 22-year-old version of Verlander would be most proud of today, on the eve of his return to the Comerica Park mound after an eight-year exodus.
“That’s a tough one,” he said. “The longevity is something I always strived for. I wanted to play the game for a really long time and I was naïve and stubborn and said I would. I told (former Tiger) Kenny Rogers, ‘When I am your age, I will still be able to throw 95.’ What an idiot that kid was (laughing).”