Kirby Yates makes first MLB start vs. Verlander finale
Kirby Yates will make the first start of his 12-year MLB career Saturday when the Pittsburgh Pirates visit the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The 39-year-old closer faces Justin Verlander, 43, in Verlander’s final start before retirement—a rare age duel capping two storied pitching careers.
Key Takeaways
- Kirby Yates, 39, opens after 517 relief appearances and 101 career saves—his first MLB start.
- He faces Justin Verlander, 43, in Verlander’s final Tigers start before retirement at Comerica Park.
- Yates is the first Pirates pitcher in the modern era (since 1901) to debut as a starter after 517 relief outings.
- Acquired from the Angels at the trade deadline, Yates is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in 14 appearances for Pittsburgh.
- Both veterans are expected to retire after 12 (Yates) and 21 (Verlander) MLB seasons.
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Why is Kirby Yates starting against the Tigers?
Yates planted the idea with Pirates manager Don Kelly, asking to make what could be the final appearance of his career a historic one. Kelly gave the two-time All-Star the nod for Saturday’s road game in Detroit.
The right-hander has never started in the majors. After 517 relief appearances spanning 12 seasons, he will open a bullpen game against the Tigers. He returned from a two-week injured-list stint on Sept. 22 and has pitched well since joining Pittsburgh: 2-0, a 2.03 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, 12 strikeouts and five walks in 13 1/3 innings over 14 games.
“I think this is going to be pretty neat, especially with the environment that’s expected,” Yates said, per TribLIVE. “Donnie told me, and I got pretty nervous pretty quickly… Haven’t had these feelings in a long time.”
How historic is the Yates-Verlander matchup?
According to MLB’s game preview, Yates will make his first start after 517 relief appearances and 101 saves. He is the first Pirates pitcher in the modern era to wait that long for a first start, and the longest such MLB wait since Cleveland’s Bryan Shaw opened in 2022.
Verlander, a 10-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2011 American League MVP, takes the mound for the 557th start of his 21-year career—and his last in a Detroit uniform. The Tigers honored him Friday and expect a sellout for the finale.
What does Kirby Yates want from his first start?
Yates respects Verlander and knows the spotlight belongs to the Tigers ace. “It’s his day but, hopefully, I can out-pitch him for an inning or two,” he said. Where Verlander aims to go as long as he can, Yates would be satisfied with a clean first inning and maybe a second.
“If I get into the third inning, my arm probably will fall off,” Yates joked. “He’s a little bit more experienced going deep into games. Just go out there and try and give ’em hell for as long as you can.”
He is not oblivious that it could be his last time on a big-league mound. “I’ve been trying to open for a while… Tomorrow is a day to do it,” Yates said. For Pirates fans and baseball history buffs alike, Saturday’s opener is a landmark—and a fitting send-off if it is goodbye.