There was always going to be a mountain to climb. When Justin Verlander entered the 2024 season at age 42, chasing 38 more wins to reach the 300 wins mark, he knew it wouldn’t be easy. Averaging 13 wins a year over three seasons? That was going to be tough, even in your prime. But for Verlander, this goal wasn’t just a number—it was his mission to complete.

But fast forward to now, and the possibility seems murkier. The future Hall of Famer is still winless in 13 starts with the San Francisco Giants. And it’s really not just that he is pitching terribly, because his velocity is still hovering in the mid-90s, and he has flashes of awesome play. But the result is not there.

A strained pec had sidelined him from late May to mid-June, and since returning, Verlander has mentioned that he has managed to find something mechanically that could flip the switch. But not everyone is convinced just yet.

In the latest column, Ken Rosenthal didn’t sugarcoat the reality, saying, “The odds against Verlander getting to 300 are even longer now that he is winless in his first 13 starts for the San Francisco Giants.” And this is actually the longest streak by a Giants pitcher since at least 1901. This is a staggering stat, and it puts the Giants in a tricky spot. At what point does faith in a legend turn into liability? This is a big question.

Now, Verlander’s numbers don’t help him much. His strikeout rate is down in the 26th percentile, and his expected ERA is 5.09, which is actually worse than his actual 4.26. And even after facing bottom-tier teams like the A’s and Rockies or even the Marlins, he has still come up short in the win column. But he is not giving in just yet.

“Yeah, I’ve given us some chances. But I need to pitch better. I do think I’m capable of that. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t still be playing,” said the veteran pitcher. So he is defiant, and he still believes he is on the verge of something special, and his mechanics are lining up the way they should. Well, if so, his next test comes on Friday in West Sacramento.

Verlander’s Skubal praise feels like a quiet passing of the torch

Now it’s hard to know whether this is Justin Verlander’s final lap. But it certainly does feel like one is watching a pitcher deep in reflection. He isn’t ready to say goodbye, clearly, but he is thinking about what comes next. At least that’s what it feels like, looking at how he was talking about Tarik Skubal, the Tigers’ new ace. It’s almost like he is passing a torch to those who are next. “To me, if I’m the Tigers and I’ve got the best pitcher in baseball, I want that mother—— out there as long as possible,” Verlander said. And his voice had that admiration and that nostalgia. He sees in Skubal someone who he was when he was younger, a young workforce with the game in his hands.

Just a year ago, Verlander mentioned, he didn’t watch enough of Tarik Skubal to give any opinion. That has now changed. After watching one of Skubal’s dominant outings where he managed nine innings, 13 strikeouts, and only 94 pitches in Detroit, Verlander said, “Really, his last start was kind of eye-opening.” He even introduced himself to Skubal in the outfield during an exhibition game this spring.

As for Skubal, he was star-struck and said, “What he means to this organization and what he’s accomplished in his career, he’s a Hall of Famer, and he’s been doing it for a long time. When you’re in my shoes, you strive to be who he is. I think that’s pretty cool.” And it’s like the past meets the present and future. For now, Verlander’s appreciation of Skubal’s dominance and his thoughts on the evolving baseball culture all hint at a pitcher who knows he is nearing his final chapter in MLB.