Justin Verlander is 40 years old.
If he plays until age 45, which he plans to do, the legendary pitcher will play his final game in the 2028 season, meaning he would be eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the class of 2034.
Verlander is almost certainly a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and one of the best to ever stand on the mound at the highest level, but the team he wants represented on his bronze plaque remains a mystery in the final stretch of his illustrious career.
The three-time Cy Young winner has returned to Comerica Park — where he spent parts of 13 seasons with the Detroit Tigers while growing into a franchise icon — as a member of the New York Mets, following parts of five seasons with the Houston Astros.