Yankees royalty shares why Justin Verlander is a generational talent

Justin Verlander has been a generational pitcher, and not many can say they have gotten the better of him. Even those who can say, like a former Yankees legend, were still humbled by the three-time Cy Young winner's pitching prowess.

Mark Teixeira — a three-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner, and World Series champion — says Verlander was one of the pitchers who owned him.

During Sunday's episode on The Ryan Ripken Show, the former New York Yankees great shared why the Giants ace is a generational pitcher. Teixeira opened up about his battles with Verlander, recalling a moment that made him believe so.

"I hit one home run off Justin Verlander, and once he realized that I thought I could hit him, he had me," Teixeira said (44:42 onwards). "I was getting giddy because, 'Oh, well, I took him deep once, so I can get him again.'

"And I was overaggressive, and he would throw me like BP fastballs — like 200 BP fastballs — that I’m just ahead of, and I roll over to second base. I could almost see him smirking like, 'I got you again.'"

Teixeira adds to the praise for Verlander, saying he not only had the overpowering stuff but also had a smart head.

"You know, there's a reason — I mean, Shields had a great career — but Justin Verlander is arguably the best pitcher of our generation, and there's a reason," Teixeira added. "Great stuff, super competitor, and he was smart — he is smart — and he just owned me. So I'm glad I don't have to face him anymore."

Why Justin Verlander is simply the best pitcher since 2010

Justin Verlander has been regarded as the best pitcher since 2010 and is often called in the same breath as his fellow veterans Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer. All three boast stellar resumes and have been franchise stalwarts for several teams.

Verlander's best years came during his time with the Detroit Tigers and the Houston Astros. He won two Cy Young Awards (2011, 2019, 2022), an MVP award (2011), and finished in the top five in Cy Young voting multiple times across the decade. The nine-time All-Star is a two-time World Series champion as well and was part of several of Astros' deep postseason runs since 2017.

He is 262-149 with an ERA of 3.31 and has 3,444 strikeouts. He'll likely surpass the 3,500 mark before the All-Star break.

Verlander's legendary career is in the final stages, and he signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants this past offseason. He has made six starts, going 0-2 with a 4.99 ERA in 2025 thus far. While his best years are behind him, he still remains a veteran presence for the club.