Justin Brooks Verlander was born on February 20, 1983. He is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball. He previously played for the Detroit Tigers for 13 seasons, with whom he made his major league debut on July 4, 2005. From Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, Verlander attended Old Dominion University and played college baseball for the Monarchs. He broke the Monarchs’ and Colonial Athletic Association‘s career records for strikeouts. At the 2003 Pan American Games, Verlander helped lead the United States national team to a silver medal. The Tigers selected him in the first round and as the second overall pick of the 2004 first-year player draft. As a former ace in the Tigers’ starting rotation, he is regarded as a key figure in four consecutive American League Central division championships from 2011−2014, and in the Astros’ first World Series championship in 2017.
