2x Gold Glover & Former MVP Finalist Announces Retirement

Veteran second baseman Kolten Wong has officially retired from professional baseball after an 11-year career, highlighted by two Gold Glove Awards and a long tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals. Wong made the announcement during a ceremony at his alma mater, the University of Hawaii, where he was inducted into the school’s Circle of Honor.

Kolten Wong Announces Retirement After 11 Seasons in MLB

“Pretty much right now, I’m done,” Wong told reporters in Honolulu. “I’ve kind of come to the conclusion that I’m probably going to be hanging them up. It’s just one of those things where, the game how it’s going now, there’s no sense of chasing it. I’m a dad now, and I’m enjoying that. I’m trying to be the best big league dad I can be.”

After 11 seasons in the Major Leagues including eight with the Cardinals, two-time Gold Glove winner Kolten Wong has officially announced his retirement.

Congratulations on a great career, Kolten! pic.twitter.com/WDlNrwQnGc

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 19, 2025

Drafted 22nd overall by the Cardinals in 2011, Wong made his MLB debut in 2013 and quickly earned a reputation as a dependable, defensively elite second baseman. He spent eight seasons in St. Louis, winning Gold Gloves in 2019 and 2020, and was a finalist for NL Rookie of the Year in 2014. 

Wong later played for the Milwaukee Brewers (2021–22), Seattle Mariners, and Los Angeles Dodgers, finishing his career with a .256 batting average, 86 home runs, and 120 stolen bases across 1,189 games.

In honor of Kolten Wong's retirement, here's an appreciation post for him.

His aura in that Cardinals infield was unmatched 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/2GMVs4FYv8

— Cardinals Stats And Facts (@STL_Stats_Facts) May 19, 2025

While Wong briefly joined the Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks on minor league deals in 2024, he had not played in affiliated ball for nearly a year before choosing to step away.

Photo Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images