This is it. In all likelihood, Tuesday in Philadelphia is the last time that legends Justin Verlander and Kate Upton will walk the MLB All-Star Red Carpet.
At least as a member of an MLB roster. Verlander, the All-Star Game “Legend Pick,” is calling it a career at the end of the season.
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The future Hall of Famer threw cold water on the idea of making a comeback while on the red carpet. He was asked about his retirement and what it would take to keep him from calling it quits.
He replied, “I don’t know if there’s much you can do at this point.”
Verlander, 43, then added that his teammate Tarik Skubal has been telling him that all the best come back. This prompted a comment about him training and popping up at the trade deadline ready to be signed next year.
“Sure. Here we are at the All-Star Break and I can’t get healthy and pitch…,” he said of the idea. “But hopefully, I get healthy in the second half, you know? You know that’s what I’m trying to do.”
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Justin Verlander of the San Francisco Giants walks with his family during the 2026 All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Mastercard at Independence Mall in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Hunter Martin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers poses for a photo with his wife, Kate Upton, and family during the 2026 red carpet photoshoot at Loews Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pa., on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The reality is that baseball is a young man’s game. At 43, Verlander knows that’s the case. He’s focusing on getting healthy in the second half and riding off into the sunset.
The game of baseball and the red carpets that come with success are for a new generation. They’re for the likes of Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne.
Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates poses for a photo with girlfriend Olivia Dunne during the 2026 All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Mastercard at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pa., on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
They’re for Brandon Marsh and his mom, sister and girlfriend. And the game and the red carpets are for guys like Corbin Carroll and his girlfriend Emma Broyles.
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Brandon Marsh of the Philadelphia Phillies attends the 2026 MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pa., on July 14, 2026. (Lisa Lake/Getty Images)
Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks poses for a picture with his family during the 2026 All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Mastercard at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pa., on July 14, 2026. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
But that doesn’t mean we don’t deserve one last red carpet appearance from Justin Verlander and Kate Upton. They’ve earned it and so have we.
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Cue the music as we thank them by taking a look back at some of their past All-Star Game Red Carpet appearances. What a run.
We’ll see them in Cooperstown in a few years.
Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros and his wife, Kate Upton, pose for a photo during the All-Star Red Carpet Show at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, Calif., on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Justin Verlander and Kate Upton walk the carpet during the MLB Red Carpet Show at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. (Alex Trautwig/MLB)
Justin Verlander poses for a photo with his wife, Kate Upton, during the MLB Red Carpet Show presented by Chevrolet at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. (Adam Glanzman/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
