San Francisco Giants veteran ace Justin Verlander had a lackluster outing in Friday’s series opener against the Oakland Athletics at Raley Field in West Sacramento, California. Verlander has looked out of touch with his usual self this season, slumping to a disappointing 0-6 record through 14 starts.
He is 0-3 in his last five starts, and the Giants are 5-9 in the games started by the veteran right-hander. On Friday, Verlander was taken out of the game after pitching just three innings as he gave up six earned runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out five batters as the home team routed the visitors 11-2 in the series opener. The performance marked another frustrating chapter in what has become a nightmare season for the future Hall of Famer.
Justin Verlander Owns Up to His Rough Start Against the A’s
After his disappointing outing in the series opener against the A’s, Verlander addressed the media and owned up to his dull start by saying, “I feel like I was pretty easy to hit tonight. Frankly, embarrassing I didn’t do better than that. I thought I found something in between starts that was going to help and send me the right direction, and no, it didn’t. So back to the drawing board.”
Justin Verlander tonight:
• 3 IP
• 7 H
• 1 BB
• 6 ER
• 5 KVerlander just became the third pitcher in Giants history to go winless over any 14 game single season span pic.twitter.com/GtaZQZHYoq
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) July 5, 2025
The brutal honesty from Verlander reflects just how far he’s fallen from his elite status. At 42 years old, the veteran is facing serious questions about whether his legendary career is coming to an end. His 4.84 ERA is a far cry from the dominant pitcher who won three Cy Young Awards and helped lead teams to World Series championships.
Rumors are lingering around whether it’s time for the veteran ace to hang up his cleats after a disappointing start to the 2025 MLB campaign. Verlander has tasted so much success in his almost two-decade-long big league career.
A Legendary Career Now in Question
The Detroit Tigers drafted Verlander in the 2004 MLB draft after he impressed at the collegiate level with Old Dominion University. He received his big league debut in 2005, and the rest is history.
Verlander spent 13 years with the Tigers before signing with the Houston Astros, which turned out to be the most successful tenure of his storied career. He played five years with the Astros, winning two World Series and two Cy Young awards. He had previously won the Cy Young Award with the Tigers in 2011.
The veteran played the 2023 season with the New York Mets but then switched back to the Astros in a midseason trade deal. After the 2024 season, Verlander became a free agent and signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Giants for the 2025 campaign. After his disastrous start this season, one can easily predict Verlander becoming a free agent at the end of the season, yet again.
The nine-time All-Star has a 4.84 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 1.44 WHIP through 14 starts this season. Those numbers represent a dramatic decline for a pitcher who has dominated hitters for nearly two decades. His strikeout rate has dropped significantly, and opposing batters are making solid contact against his once-overpowering fastball.
Verlander will be hopeful of claiming at least one win before the All-Star break when he takes to the mound next time against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park on July 9. The Giants desperately need their veteran ace to find his form if they hope to make a playoff push in the second half of the season. For now, though, Verlander and San Francisco are left searching for answers to a puzzle that seems increasingly difficult to solve.