WASHINGTON — Justin Verlander meant so much to Brice Matthews’ baseball upbringing, but the two men never met until 2024, when the ageless ace arrived at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Ark. Neck stiffness forced Verlander to make a minor-league rehab start for the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, whose clubhouse full of impressionable prospects prepared for a pitching masterclass.“He was super dope,” Matthews said. “Listening to him talk about the game and just him adjusting his grip after an inning to make the ball spin a little different. It was crazy to think. You don’t really hear that a lot, especially coming up, and (we heard) it from a three-time Cy Young winner.”Matthews is a native Houstonian, a product of the Astros Urban Youth Academy and a lifelong fan of the franchise Verlander’s arrival helped elevate. Acquiring Verlander in the waning moments of the 2017 waiver trade deadline announced the Houston Astros’ intentions to contend for championship. After they won it, Verlander helped ensure this would be a golden era.“It was different,” said Matthews, a freshman at nearby Atascocita High School when Verlander landed in Houston. “I think, as fans, you were watching the games whenever (he) pitched, you automatically thought it was a win.”On Wednesday, Verlander announced that he planned to retire at the end of the 2026 MLB season. (Alex Slitz / Getty Images)The Detroit Tigers drafted, developed and debuted Verlander. He will play his final season in their uniform and, perhaps, wear their cap into Cooperstown. But Verlander’s most dominant — and perhaps legacy-defining — years occurred in Houston, a second home he always held in high regard.Verlander captured two of his three Cy Young Awards, struck out his 3,000th career batter and logged his 200th career win in a Houston uniform. After eight attempts, Verlander won his first and only World Series game, grinding through five innings of four-run ball in Game 5 of the 2022 Fall Classic. After he departed, Verlander wrapped manager Dusty Baker in a hug to thank him for the opportunity.The Astros also witnessed Verlander toss his third career no-hitter, after which he famously asked “where the f— is Toro,” adding an indelible memory to a tenure full of them.Verlander finished first or second in American League Cy Young voting during all three of his full, healthy seasons in Houston. The Astros played for a pennant in all but one of the seven seasons Verlander wore their uniform, cementing his tenure as one of the most impactful in the franchise’s 65-year history.“He proved to be invaluable to the Astros historic stretch of deep playoff runs both with his pitching but as importantly with his leadership in the clubhouse and his ability to inspire his teammates and the fans,” former general manager Jeff Luhnow told The Athletic on Wednesday after Verlander announced his plan to retire at season’s end.“He allowed his teammates to shine and when it was his turn, he consistently stepped up and delivered. A sure fire Hall of Fame player in my book.”Verlander won two of his three Cy Young Awards in a Houston uniform. (Nick Cammett / Diamond Images via Getty Images)In 2017, Luhnow parted with three prospects, Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron and Jake Rogers, to complete one of the most consequential trades in Houston sports history. Executing it helped a city start to heal from Hurricane Harvey’s devastation one week earlier.Verlander became the bulldog his new ballclub lacked. He surrendered four runs in his final 34 regular-season innings before becoming a bona fide Houston legend during the postseason. Verlander made two masterful starts against the New York Yankees in the ALCS en route to MVP honors.Verlander’s impassioned speech to Houston’s dugout after exiting Game 2 of the World Series — with his jersey off and undershirt exposing his arms — is remembered as one of that postseason run’s most seminal moments.“His attention to detail, his preparation, his competitiveness, his want to be the best, was contagious,” said Alex Bregman, the third baseman on Houston’s 2017 team.“He helped younger pitchers. He helped older pitchers. He helped position players. He helped everybody get better at the game of baseball. He expected a certain level of preparation and attention to detail out of everyone on his team. It was infectious and it made everyone better.”Verlander’s willingness to do so is, perhaps, the defining trait of his Houston tenure. He underwent a total transformation from an almost unapproachable ace to someone willing to share all he knew with those around him. Undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2020 lent him a new perspective. So did the birth of his daughter, Genevieve, in 2018.“He’s the best,” said current Astros ace Hunter Brown. “Incredible person, first and foremost. He’s probably forgotten more than I’ll ever know and he’s watched more baseball than most people ever get a chance to … It was great getting to know him and then watching him pitch.”Verlander threw 810 1/3 innings across his 130 regular-season starts as an Astro. Only 22 other starting pitchers in the franchise’s history have logged at least 800 innings. Verlander is the only one with an ERA lower than 3.00. Each of the other pitchers posted a WHIP of at least 1.14. Verlander’s is 0.918.Among those 22 Astros starters who’ve thrown at least 800 innings, Verlander allowed the fewest hits per nine innings, walked the fewest batters per nine innings and has a 155 ERA+ that is 22 points higher than anyone else’s.“Just grateful to be a part of his journey and (to) watch him compete at a high level for a long time,” said Astros manager Joe Espada. “He helped us win a championship. Super competitive and one of the best right-handed pitchers I’ve ever been around.”— Patrick Mooney contributed to this report.