A World Series Champion, a five-time Gold Glove winner and an All-Star, longtime outfielder Jason Heyward announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on MLB Central on Friday.
Heyward appeared in 34 games with the San Diego Padres last season, his 16th season in the big leagues. He’s best known, however, for his breakout without the Atlanta Braves and his contributions to the Cubs from 2016-2022, including the curse-breaking 2016 World Series title. He also spent time with the Cardinals, Dodgers and Astros.
Heyward said he’s “glad and happy” to look toward “the other side of the game.”
“I look forward to being a potential mentor to any of the young players coming up, anybody that is in the game right now. I feel like the game's in good hands in that sense, and I look forward to being a fan and seeing what other ways I can give back,” Heyward said. “Thank you to everybody that's been there to support: the fans, teammates, coaches, staff, ownership groups, everyone and so on. Thank you for allowing me to live out my dream.”
A 2007 first-round pick of the Braves out of Henry County High School in McDonough, Ga., Heyward debuted in 2010 and immediately produced his only All-Star season, slashing a fine .277/.393/.456 in 142 games.
That earned Heyward a runner-up finish for NL Rookie of the Year behind only Giants catcher Buster Posey. He spent four more productive years in Atlanta and one in St. Louis, earning an eight-year, $184 million deal with the Cubs -- still the largest free-agent contract in the club’s history.
Heyward’s stellar defense and leadership were the hallmarks of his time patrolling right field at the Friendly Confines, winning two of his Gold Gloves in Chicago, even if the bat didn’t quite live up to its billing. He’ll be remembered for his motivational speech during a rain delay in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, helping propel the Cubs to a 10th-inning win after coughing up the lead in the eighth.
“Just reminded them who we were, you know. Like, don't forget that. Don't forget that we won the most games in the regular season. Don't forget that we came back from [down three games to one]. Don't forget that we've defied every odd, from the curse to being on the road to dealing with whatever we had to deal with," Heyward said. "Some of it was a little bit more explicit, of course, but I just had to remind them who they were. And we had the right group of people in the room. Shout out to everybody there. We got it done."
Now 36, Heyward said he’s looking forward to spending more time with his wife and kids, but also that he’s “not ready to necessarily turn the page on baseball yet.” He said the only thing he may not have interest in is managing, but the business side of the sport or coaching could be his next career move. He additionally founded the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy in Chicago in 2023.
“The game's given all of us a lot,” Heyward said. “It'll be interesting to see what's next.”