Old Dominion Professional Athletes

The End of an Era at Comerica Park

Justin Verlander walked off a major league mound for the last time Saturday, closing a 21-season career in the city where it began. The Old Dominion alumnus made his final start for the Detroit Tigers against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park, retiring after a season cut short by left hip inflammation and a left hamstring strain that limited him to just two appearances in 2026.

The moment lived up to its weight. Verlander was introduced alone onto the field one last time, then delivered 5.1 innings, striking out six Pirates batters — including back-to-back strikeouts that drew a roar from the crowd — before surrendering two earned runs and being pulled to a standing ovation. When he exited the mound, his daughter ran out to embrace him in a scene that stopped the ballpark cold. Wife Kate Upton and the couple's two children were on the field for the farewell ceremony, which included custom commemorative shirts worn by Tigers players and coaching staff.

Detroit didn't let the afternoon turn bittersweet. Eduardo Valencia walked off the Pirates with a ninth-inning home run to left field, giving the Tigers a 4-3 win and sending Verlander into retirement on a winning note.

In a message to fans ahead of the start, Verlander thanked Tigers supporters for their "love and support" over a career that included the 2011 American League MVP and Cy Young Award — both earned in Detroit — plus a No. 2 overall selection in the 2004 draft. CC Sabathia, a rival turned admirer, sent a public tribute. Verlander's brother Ben posted a heartfelt message before first pitch. Teammate Jackson Jobe spoke publicly about what the legend means to the franchise. It was, in every sense, a full-organization send-off.

Verlander had returned to Detroit ahead of the 2026 season for the first time since 2017, giving Tigers fans one last chapter with the pitcher who defined the franchise's modern era. A Hall of Fame case that was already airtight is now sealed.

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The Rest of the Monarch Roster

While Verlander commanded the spotlight, two other ODU alumni made quiet contributions in the season's final week.

Vinnie Pasquantino (Royals) was one of Kansas City's steadier bats down the stretch, going 7-for-21 across the week with two home runs and nine RBI. His best performance came Tuesday against the White Sox — a 3-for-4 night with a homer and five RBI in an 11-14 loss — a reminder of the first baseman's pop even in a lost cause. He finished the week hitting .247.

Ryan Yarbrough (Yankees) logged two relief appearances, headlined by a sharp five-strikeout showing over 2.1 innings in Friday's 6-3 win over Baltimore, lowering his ERA to 3.69 on the season.

For Old Dominion, though, this week will be remembered for exactly one thing: the last pitch Justin Verlander ever threw in a big-league game, and the daughter waiting for him at the mound when it was over.

Old Dominion's fingerprints were all over MLB's final stretch run this week, with Jared Young turning heads in New York and Justin Verlander chasing one last storybook chapter in Detroit.

Jared Young Is Making the Mets' Roster Decisions Hard

The Mets have a first-base logjam problem, and Jared Young is the reason it's a good one. The ODU product capped a strong week with a 3-for-the-game performance in New York's dominant 12-2 blowout of the Yankees on September 12 — going 3-for-the-game with a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI. It was the loudest moment of a week in which Young was consistently productive: he also went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and a walk against the Marlins on September 9, and added a hit, an RBI, and a run in that same series the night before.

Young is now hitting .272 on the season, and his emergence has forced a front-office conversation the Mets didn't entirely anticipate. With Mark Vientos and Jorge Polanco also in the mix, New York faces a genuine puzzle about where Young fits going forward — a good problem, but a problem nonetheless. His bat is making the argument for him.

Verlander's Farewell Tour Hits a Critical Juncture

Across the league, the most emotionally loaded storyline belongs to Justin Verlander. The future Hall of Famer — who announced his retirement plans for the end of the 2026 season — has been sidelined since his only start of the year for the Tigers, but Detroit has been providing regular updates as Verlander pushes to take one final mound in a big-league game.

The Tigers have confirmed he's making progress, and the possibility of one last start in a Detroit uniform is very much alive. For a player who spent a defining chapter of his career with this franchise, the symmetry would be unmistakable. No date has been formally announced, but the push is real and the organization is clearly invested in making it happen.

Pasquantino Stays Steady in Kansas City

Meanwhile, Vinnie Pasquantino quietly delivered one of the more consistent weeks among ODU's MLB contingent. The Royals' first baseman delivered at least one hit in four of his five games this week, highlighted by a three-run homer on September 6 against the Blue Jays in a 6-1 Kansas City win. He also drove in a run in the Royals' 3-2 victory over the Red Sox on September 12. Pasquantino is batting .239 on the season — not a flashy number, but his pop and on-base value keep him anchored in Kansas City's lineup.

Ryan Yarbrough made a couple of bullpen appearances for the Yankees, logging 2.1 innings in the Bombers' lopsided 12-2 loss to the Mets on September 12 — the same game Young tormented his fellow ODU alum's team. Yarbrough carries a 3.81 ERA on the season.

A week that started with Verlander's retirement watch and ended with Young going deep against the Yankees: not a bad stretch for Monarch nation.

The End of an Era in Detroit

Old Dominion's most celebrated baseball alumnus has played his last game. The Detroit Tigers made the announcement before their series against the Cleveland Guardians: Justin Verlander's career is over, closed out by a final season that never really got started.

Verlander's 2026 homecoming was supposed to be storybook. He signed a one-year deal to return to Detroit — the franchise where he won a Cy Young, an MVP, and became a legend — and close out his Hall of Fame career where it began. Instead, hip inflammation limited him to a single start all season. When Heavy Sports asked him directly about his chances of pitching again in 2026, Verlander was brutally honest: the odds weren't good. The Tigers' announcement confirmed what the injury log had been telegraphing for months.

It is a quieter ending than Verlander deserved, but the résumé doesn't need a farewell tour. The Cooperstown case writes itself. For ODU, losing Verlander from the active alumni ranks is losing the program's marquee name. He won't be easy to replace in that conversation.

As recently as late August, Sports Illustrated reported that Verlander hadn't entirely closed the book, leaving a sliver of hope for one more appearance. That door is now shut.

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Young Heats Up for a Mets Push

While Verlander's chapter closes, Jared Young is writing his own story in Flushing. The ODU outfielder had a productive week for the Mets, racking up hits and runs across multiple games as New York battles into September.

Young's biggest moment came in a Mets win over the Houston Astros, where he drove in three runs on three hits in a 6-2 victory. He's shown up on both sides of a ledger during the stretch, however — a Young error contributed to a 6-3 loss to Houston in a separate contest. The week's full line: multiple multi-hit games, a .267 average by Saturday, and consistent presence at the top of the Mets' lineup card when it mattered. He's not just a roster filler at this point; Young is contributing in a pennant-race environment.

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Pasquantino Powers One Out in Kansas City

Vinnie Pasquantino had a quieter week by his standards but saved his best swing for last. The Royals first baseman went deep against the Blue Jays on Saturday, adding a home run, an RBI, and a run scored to close the week. He finished the period hitting .241, staying productive if not dominant, as Kansas City navigates the final stretch of the season.

Pasquantino's power tool remains intact — that home run was a reminder of why he's a cornerstone at first base for the Royals — even if the batting average reflects a tougher month overall.

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The week belonged to Verlander in spirit, even if Young and Pasquantino did the heavy lifting on the field. ODU's MLB alumni made noise in September, but none louder than the silence that marks the end of a future Hall of Famer's career.