Veteran Ace Faces Early Hurdles in San Francisco
San Francisco, CA – Justin Verlander, one of Major League Baseball’s most decorated pitchers, is navigating a challenging start to his 2025 season with the San Francisco Giants. The 42-year-old right-hander, who signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Giants on January 11, 2025, has faced a series of setbacks, including injuries and a paternity leave, contributing to a winless record through his first 14 starts.
Verlander’s 2025 campaign with the Giants currently stands at a 0-6 win-loss record with a 4.84 ERA over 70.2 innings pitched. He has recorded 60 strikeouts and a 1.44 WHIP (MLB.com, ESPN). His most recent outing on July 4, 2025, against the Athletics saw him take a loss, giving up six earned runs on seven hits over just 3.0 innings. This followed a no-decision on June 29 against the White Sox, where he allowed one earned run in 6.0 innings, and a loss on June 24 against the Marlins, surrendering three earned runs in 5.0 innings (MLB.com).
The veteran pitcher’s early season has been punctuated by stints on the injured list and a brief absence for paternity leave. He was placed on the 15-day IL on May 22, retroactive to May 19, due to right pectoral soreness, and was activated on June 18. Shortly after, he was placed on the paternity list on June 20, returning to active duty on June 23 (MLB.com). Verlander made his Giants debut on March 29 against the Cincinnati Reds, pitching 5.0 innings in a no-decision, and his Oracle Park debut on April 4, also resulting in a no-decision (Wikipedia).
A Storied Career Marred by Recent Struggles
Despite the current challenges, Verlander’s career remains one of the most illustrious in baseball history. Drafted by the Detroit Tigers as the second overall pick in the 2004 MLB June Amateur Draft, he debuted on July 4, 2005 (Baseball-Reference). Over his 20-year career, Verlander has played for the Detroit Tigers (2005-2017), Houston Astros (2017-2020, 2022), New York Mets (2023), and a second stint with the Houston Astros (2023-2024) before joining the Giants (Wikipedia).
His extensive list of accolades includes three Cy Young Awards (2011, 2019, 2022), an American League MVP Award (2011), and two World Series championships (2017, 2022). He achieved the pitching Triple Crown in 2011 and was named AL Rookie of the Year in 2006 and ALCS MVP in 2017. Verlander is also a nine-time All-Star and has thrown three no-hitters during his career (MLB.com, Wikipedia). He currently stands as the active leader in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, with a career total of 262 wins, 3,476 strikeouts, and a 3.33 ERA over 3486.1 innings (MLB.com).
The 2024 season saw Verlander battle injuries, finishing with a 5-6 record and a career-high 5.48 ERA in 17 starts for the Astros (Baseball-Reference). In 2023, he split his time between the Mets and Astros, posting a combined 13-8 record with a 3.22 ERA (MLB.com).
Known for his powerful four-seam fastball, sharp slider, and devastating 12-6 curveball, Verlander has consistently demonstrated the ability to maintain high velocity deep into games (Wikipedia). As he continues his 20th season in MLB, the baseball world watches to see if this future Hall of Famer can overcome his early 2025 struggles and return to the dominant form that has defined his legendary career. His next scheduled start is on Saturday, July 5th, against the Athletics (ESPN).
