Lance Lynn Announces MLB Retirement After 13 Seasons, World Series Win With Cardinals

Veteran starting pitcher Lance Lynn announced Tuesday he has retired from MLB.

The two-time All-Star discussed his decision in the newest episode of his and his wife's podcast, Dymin in the Rough. He said a favorable contract offer didn't materialize in the offseason, and he discovered he didn't miss the daily grind required to pitch in the majors.

Lynn added he was satisfied with what proved to be the conclusion of his 13-year run. He spent the 2024 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he started his career, and he earned a win in his final start. He allowed one earned run over six innings as the Cards beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 at Busch Stadium.

The 37-year-old understood at the time what the game potentially symbolized.

"You know, obviously, if this was your last start at Busch Stadium, you don’t want to lose—it was that simple," he told reporters after the victory. "I had my family here, brothers, dad and everybody here, so I couldn’t lose in front of them."

Lynn said he wanted for his last appearance in a Cardinals uniform to be in St. Louis too.

He started his career on a high as the Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers in the 2011 World Series when he was a rookie. He threw 11 innings during their postseason run.

His individual peak came after he left the Cardinals, though. Lynn garnered Cy Young votes across the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons, a stretch that saw him go 33-20 with a 146 ERA+, per Baseball Reference.

The right-hander made 364 total appearances and posted a ERA of 3.74 and a FIP of 3.82. His 1,028 strikeouts with St. Louis are the sixth-most in franchise history.