Jason Heyward Retires From MLB, 5-Time Gold Glove Winner Won World Series With Cubs in 2016

Jason Heyward is calling it a career.

The five-time Gold Glove Award winner announced that he's retiring from baseball after a 16-year career wtih the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres.

"I'm glad and happy to be stepping to the other side of the game," Heyward said on MLB Network. "I look forward to being a potential mentor to any of the young players coming up, anybody that's 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 could give back."

"I wanted to reach this moment and know without a doubt that it was time to walk away, and I do. No second-guessing, no looking back, just gratitude," Heyward said in a statement released by the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy. "Sixteen years in this game gave me everything, and now I get to give some of that back. Through the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy, I get to mentor the next generation, keep my hands in the game, and make sure kids in my community have the opportunities and the space to dream the same way I did. And it does not stop there. Staying connected to the younger guys coming up through the league and being a resource for them as they navigate this game matters to me just as much. It's been a heck of a career. It's been a blast."

Drafted 14th overall by the Braves in 2007, Heyward made his debut for Atlanta in 2010 after excelling in the minors. It didn't take him long to find success in the big leagues, as he was named an All-Star in his first year, a season that saw him collect 18 homers, 72 RBI and a .277 batting average.

He played for the Braves through the 2014 campaign before being traded to the Cardinals ahead of the 2015 season. In his sole season in St. Louis, Heyward had 13 home runs, 60 RBI and a career-high .293 batting average.

He signed with the Cubs in 2016, and while he struggled a bit, he helped the team win its first World Series in more than a century. He also won his fourth Gold Glove award in his first season in Chicago.

He enjoyed a resurgence with the Cubs in 2019 when he collected 21 home runs, 62 RBI and a .251 batting average.

After his Chicago stint ended, he joined the Dodgers for the 2023 season and was traded to the Astros halfway through the 2024 campaign. He signed with the Padres ahead of the 2025 season but was released in June, marking his last stop in the majors.