Justin Verlander meets the media in his introductory press conference

After stepping aside on the first day of spring training so that teammate Framber Valdez could have the stage, it was Justin Verlander’s turn on Thursday. Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg introduced him to the media on Thursday morning, and we go the first image in almost nine years of Verlander in the classic Detroit Tigers home white jersey. He then took questions from the press and there were some interesting notes, starting with the fact that the whole projected starting rotation came to the presser, as they did for Valdez on Wednesday. We love a show of rotational unity.

Verlander mentioned that as early as September of 2025, with the San Francisco Giants missing out on the postseason, his thoughts returned to Detroit. He reached out to the Tigers front office at the end of the season, but noted that he and Harris had some candid conversations where it didn’t really seem like a reunion was going to fit into the Tigers plans. The season ending injury to Reese Olson, and the fact that Verlander was still considering his options in early February, finally opened up a role and a need on the Tigers roster that their former ace could return to fill.

Nine full years since his last spring training camp in Lakeland, the facilities looked completely different as the numerous renovations and upgrades to the Tigers campus all took place after he was traded to Houston in August of 2017. Verlander noted Tarik Skubal showing him around and the oddity of finding picture of himself in his younger days around the facility and locker room. He described the last two days as “very surreal” at one point.

He talked about growing up in Detroit in front of this fanbase, and his reputation as a fairly solitary and self-obsessed player in those days, saying that he didn’t really have any regrets as he needed that intensity to become the pitcher he wanted to be and ultimately became. Verlander discussed actively working on his communication and becoming a more relaxed, open teammate available for questions and advice, saying it was something he had to work on as his career evolved. He also reminded reporters that he’d been saying he wanted to pitch until he’s 45 since he was 22 years old, and chuckled at how naive that sounds now, while discussing how he’s been able to keep it going and continue evolving.

The way he finished the 2025 season found him the healthiest he’s been in a few seasons, and sparked his continued conviction that he could still get it done. Adjustments he made during the 2025 season, and that he’d been working on since 2024, finally came together and he could feel it immediately in his stuff and in hitters reactions to certain pitches.

There was plenty more as reporters probed for his recollections of his younger eras in Detroit, and Verlander generally tried to keep the emphasis on the present and what he can do now to help the Tigers win.

More than anything, just the visuals of Justin Verlander speaking to reporters while wearing the Olde English D really brought home how unexpected and yet totally familiar this all feels.