Justin Verlander is planning to retire after the 2026 MLB season, and five years after his retirement becomes official, Verlander should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
While there’s little debate over whether Verlander will be a Hall of Famer or not, there is a big question as to one aspect of his looming induction: Which cap will he wear?
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale revealed that Verlander himself is undecided, as the decision to pick the Detroit Tigers or the Houston Astros is proving to be a difficult one.
Justin Verlander has difficult Hall of Fame question to answer
“Justin Verlander says he’s undecided what cap he would wear on his eventual Hall of Fame plaque between the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros, where he won two World Series titles,” Nightengale writes.
This decision for Verlander won’t be an easy one, as both the Tigers and Astros have compelling cases to be the cap he wears into the Hall of Fame.
He spent 14 seasons with the Tigers and seven with the Astros. He has 56.4 bWAR with Detroit and 22.4 bWAR with Houston. He also won a Cy Young and MVP with the Tigers, though he also had two Cy Youngs with the Astros.
But the massive difference in postseason production could give the Astros the edge despite playing for significantly more time in Detroit.
Verlander won two World Series titles with the Astros in three trips there, posting a 3.75 ERA in 21 postseason starts for Houston. He had a 3.39 ERA for the Tigers in the postseason, making it to two World Series, losing both.
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Overall, Verlander had a 3.51 ERA in 381 starts across 14 seasons with 56.4 bWAR, 2,374 strikeouts, a 183-115 record, and a 122 ERA+ in 2,514.2 innings with the Tigers.
With the Astros, he had a 2.71 ERA in 130 starts across seven seasons with 22.4 bWAR, 962 strikeouts, a 73-28 record, and a 155 ERA+ in 810.1 innings.
In Detroit, Verlander was a seven-time All-Star with an MVP, CY Young, and a Rookie of the Year. In Houston, he was a three-time All-Star with two Cy Youngs.
This decision is a close one for Verlander, and it will be very interesting to see what he decides to go with. The Tigers might be the favorite as he’s spent more time there than anywhere else, but the Astros have a real chance to be on his cap in the Hall of Fame.