41-year-old Justin Verlander reveals his future intentions after the Astros' exit from the playoffs.

Justin Verlander, who was excluded from the team's roster, did not have the opportunity to participate in the Houston Astros' American League wild-card series against his former team, the Detroit Tigers. Despite enjoying home-field advantage, the Astros lost both games at Minute Maid Park, resulting in their elimination from the playoffs on Wednesday. This defeat marked the end of a remarkable streak in which the team reached at least the AL Championship Series for seven consecutive years. Following the 5-2 loss on Wednesday, the 41-year-old Verlander expressed his intention to continue his illustrious career on the mound in 2025.

The three-time AL Cy Young Award recipient experienced an inconsistent 2024 season, concluding with a record of 5-6 and a career-high ERA of 5.48 over 90 1/3 innings across 17 starts. Throughout the year, Verlander faced several shoulder issues, leading to the fewest innings pitched in his career, aside from his two-start MLB debut in 2005 and the 2020 and 2021 seasons, which followed his Tommy John surgery after a single appearance in the pandemic-affected season. As noted by C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, Verlander's innings pitched are crucial for his prospects in 2025. Rosecrans highlighted that since he fell short of the 140 innings required to trigger a $35 million vesting option for the upcoming season, Verlander will enter free agency.

Regardless of the duration of the 2011 AL MVP's career, Verlander has secured his place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The right-handed pitcher is widely regarded as one of the premier starting pitchers of the 21st century. Although this year presented unique challenges, he performed admirably last season, achieving a 13-8 record, a 3.22 ERA, and a 1.13 WHIP, and he claimed his most recent AL Cy Young Award in 2022 at the age of 39. If it is up to him, Major League Baseball has not yet seen the last of Justin Verlander.