5 Vibrant SI Swimsuit Photos of Kate Upton in Detroit Tigers Navy and Orange

Today is a big occasion for Detroit sports fans, as the Tigers host their home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at Comerica Park this afternoon, with the first pitch set for 1:10 p.m. ET.

With several key additions to the team’s roster this year, Justin Verlander is making a triumphant return to his roots. The 43-year-old professional athlete, who is married to SI Swimsuit legend Kate Upton, was drafted to the Tigers as the second overall pick during the 2004 MLB Draft and remained with the team until he was traded to the Houston Astros in 2017.

Verlander played with the Astros through 2022, then signed with the New York Mets as a free agent ahead of the 2023 season. That summer, he was traded back to the Astros, where he played for the 2024 season. Verlander went on to ink a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants in early 2025, and on Feb. 10, he agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract to return to the Tigers.

Throughout her years with SI Swimsuit, Upton, who first posed for the issue in 2011, has earned the cover on multiple occasions. And looking back at several of her iconic snapshots from locations spanning the globe, the 33-year-old model has actually repped Detroit’s navy blue and orange team colors quite frequently.

Upton and Verlander have been married since Nov. 4, 2017, and share two children together: A daughter named Genevieve, whom they welcomed in 2018, and a son, Bellamy, who was born in 2025. And while the famous pair largely keep their family and relationship out of the spotlight, the Michigan native opened up about how motherhood has truly transformed her while on the set of her SI Swimsuit cover shoot in 2024.

“Becoming a mom changes everything about you,” Upton stated. “It expands your ability to love and have emotions in a way I never thought to be possible. I always joked that I was the Grinch because my heart grew two sizes bigger [after having a child]. My biggest hope and dream for [Genevieve] is that she knows how amazing she is and she knows her worth and the [value] in being herself and uniquely her. [I hope she knows] how much her voice matters and to speak up and use it and how strong she is.”

In honor of today’s season home opener for the Tigers, we’re throwing it back to a few of our favorite navy and orange swimsuit looks Upton has sported over the years.

Kate Upton was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. Swimsuit by Agent Provocateur. | Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated