Kyle Hendricks, key part of Cubs' 2016 title team, retiring after 12 seasons

Kyle Hendricks, the longtime Cubs starter who helped Chicago end its 108-year World Series drought and spent this past season pitching for his hometown Angels, has hung up his spikes.

Hendricks, who will turn 36 on Dec. 7, is retiring after 12 big league seasons.

"My family and I congratulate Kyle on his retirement after a great career. He was one of the best all-time Cubs pitchers. We would not have won the World Series without his incredible 2016 season where he won the Major League ERA title and started Game 7 of the World Series,” said Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement. “The Professor was always calm, cool and collected on the mound but his great performances excited millions of Cubs fans. From his outstanding playoff starts in 2016 to his memorable final appearance at Wrigley Field in 2024, he gave our fans sweet emotions. Now, it is time for Kyle, his wife, Emma, and his family to make new memories in retirement and we hope they come back to Wrigley Field often.”

Nicknamed “The Professor” as a Dartmouth grad who relied upon pitching with precision through his changeup-sinker combination in an age of high velocity, Hendricks recorded a 3.79 ERA over 307 career games (including 301 starts). He spent his first 11 seasons with Chicago and grew into a franchise great during the golden era of Cubs baseball.

Over 11 seasons on the North Side, Hendricks recorded a 3.68 ERA over 276 games (270 starts). His 270 career starts is tied with Hippo Vaughn for ninth in franchise history, and his 1,259 strikeouts rank seventh.

The Cubs acquired Hendricks from the Rangers ahead of the 2012 Trade Deadline in a deal for starter Ryan Dempster. The right-hander made his MLB debut two years later, on July 10, and went on to blossom into a key cog in Chicago’s rotation.

Hendricks recorded a 2.46 ERA over 13 starts in 2014, when he finished seventh in NL Rookie of the Year Award voting. He took home the MLB ERA title in '16 and also finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting, after he posted a 2.13 ERA over 31 games (30 starts) in the regular season.

The 2016 regular season was an appetizer for what Hendricks did in the postseason. During the Cubs' fateful playoff run, Hendricks delivered a pair of iconic performances. He outdueled Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series by tossing 7 1/3 scoreless innings -- p​aving the way for the Cubs to clinch their first pennant since 1945.

Hendricks then started Game 7 of the World Series, when he was charged with two runs (one earned) over 4 2/3 innings. Chicago went on to clinch its first title since 1908.

Hendricks had an up-and-down final season in Chicago in 2024, but he delivered one masterclass start in what proved to be his last appearance in the pinstripes. He tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings vs. the Reds on Sept. 28.

Before he became a free agent for the first time last offseason, Hendricks was the longest-tenured Cub and the last player remaining in Chicago from its 2016 championship team.

Hendricks went on to sign a one-year deal with the Angels, and the Newport Beach, Calif., native recorded a 4.76 ERA in 164 2/3 innings over 31 starts for the Halos in 2025.