5-Time All Star Announces Retirement

January 05, 2024 ,


 After 15 seasons, five All-Star nods, a lifetime batting average just a tick under .300, and one World Series ring, his body just wouldn’t allow him to perform the way that he’s always expected. With that, Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley has announced his retirement from baseball.

“It’s time for me to be home 24/7, watch my kids grow up, and not miss important milestones,” said Brantley, 36, in making the announcement. “I have young kids, and now it’s time to be a dad, first and foremost.” 

And those aren’t just words. According to mlb.com’s Jon Morosi, Bradley is already signed up to coach Little League for his sons Michael III, 8, and Maxwell, 6.

And the tradition carries on to a third generation. Brantley’s father, Mickey, played four seasons in the majors with the Seattle Mariners in the late 1980s.

As for Michael, injuries certainly ravaged his career over the past four years, including four surgeries on his right shoulder. He was only able to play more than 64 games in a season once over that recent span since 2020, and he also missed much of the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

But overall in 1,445 career games, Bradley batted a robust .298 with a .794 OPS, and was 17% better in his career than the average major league hitter (an OPS+ of 117).

He played just 15 games in the 2023 season (and 5 in the postseason), but was still riding high on the first World Series win of his career with the 2022 Astros. 

In addition to the last five seasons spent with the Astros, Bradley also played 10 years in Cleveland, where he earned three of his five All-Star bids. 

Photo: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

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