SF Giants veteran pitcher Justin Verlander makes a decision on 2026 season

SF Giants veteran starter Justin Verlander has rebounded nicely from a rough start to the year. He recently told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he plans on pitching in 2026.

SF Giants veteran pitcher Justin Verlander makes a decision on 2026 season

The future Hall of Famer has long conveyed his desire to reach 300 career wins, so it is no surprise to see him want to return for his 21st season.

However, it takes two sides to make a deal come together, and that did not seem like a slam-dunk case earlier in the year. Verlander had a 4.70 ERA in 15 starts in the first half of the year. He has rebounded nicely, with a 2.63 ERA in his last 12 starts while being the Giants' best starting pitcher in the second half.

While the right-handed hurler aims to reach 300 career wins, he has not gotten much help from the Giants. He has notched only three victories in 27 starts this season, but has certainly pitched better than that.

Lack of run support and unusual bullpen meltdowns have made wins hard to come by. Wednesday's 5-1 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks was another example of poor run support.

Verlander completed seven shutout innings. Unfortunately, the Giants' lineup was also held scoreless through the first 10 innings of the game. They scored five runs in the 11th inning and held Arizona to just one run in the bottom half of that inning to secure the win.

Verlander held up his end of the bargain. However, as has often been the case this season, he did not get enough run support to secure the win.

Overall, the 42-year-old pitcher has recorded a 3.75 ERA, 3.71 FIP, 1.34 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, and a 2.59 in 141.2 frames for San Francisco. Despite the slow start, free agency tends to reward those pitchers who finish the year on a strong note. Verlander would certainly fit into that category.

Would Verlander re-sign with the Giants? That remains to be seen. One lever they will not have available is a qualifying offer. Verlander accepted a qualifying offer from the Houston Astros before the 2022 season, and that is a lever that can only be used once in a player's career.

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