Justin Verlander's final career start marks a significant moment in baseball history

<p>Justin Verlander is scheduled to make his final career start on Saturday, marking the conclusion of his 21-season career as a professional baseball player. Verlander, who is regarded as a potential Hall of Fame inductee, has 266 career wins, placing him 37th on the all-time wins list, tied with Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey.</p><p>Verlander will not reach the milestone of 300 career wins, a feat that may become increasingly rare in modern baseball due to the prevalence of bullpen usage and early game substitutions. As of now, the active player closest to Verlander is Max Scherzer with 224 wins, followed by Gerrit Cole with 162 wins. Cole would need to average 20 wins per season for the next seven years to reach 300 wins, which is considered unlikely.</p><p>In the current era of baseball, achieving 200 wins may be viewed as a new benchmark, as the traditional 300-win pitcher becomes less common. Verlander and Scherzer are both members of the 3,000-strikeout club, with Verlander recording 3,554 strikeouts and Scherzer 3,543. This milestone appears more attainable for current pitchers than the 300-win mark.</p><p>Chris Sale, with 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts, and Cole, who has 2,374 strikeouts, could potentially join the 3,000-strikeout club if they maintain their health and performance levels. However, there are no other active pitchers with a clear path to this milestone.</p><p>Verlander's career has been characterized by durability and high performance, making him one of the standout pitchers of his generation. He has won three Cy Young Awards, an MVP Award, and two World Series championships, among other accolades. Throughout his career, Verlander consistently pitched over 200 innings in multiple seasons, a rarity in today's game.</p><p>In 2006, Verlander's first full season, 45 pitchers logged 200 or more innings, while in 2026, only two pitchers have reached that mark. The trend indicates a significant shift in how starting pitchers are utilized in Major League Baseball.</p><p>As Verlander prepares for his final start with the Detroit Tigers, his career serves as a reflection of the evolving role of starting pitchers in baseball.</p>