Matt Carpenter, who gave the Yankees an sudden jolt in 2022, is retiring after 14 MLB seasons, he introduced Tuesday.
Carpenter, a three-time All-Star, performed 12 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, together with final yr when he returned for what proved to be his closing MLB marketing campaign.
“I was very fortunate enough to play for some great organizations, and I had quite a thrill being able to don the St. Louis Cardinals logo for many years,” Carpenter, 39, informed former teammate Scott Linebrink on Sports activities Spectrum’s “Get in the Game” podcast.
Carpenter completed with a .259 common, 179 dwelling runs, a .366 on-base proportion and an .814 OPS in 1,511 video games with the Cardinals, Yankees and San Diego Padres from 2011-24.
The versatile infielder spent his first 11 seasons with the Cardinals, with whom he earned all three of his All-Star choices.
The lefty-swinging Carpenter completed fourth in Nationwide League MVP voting in 2013, when he batted .318 and tied for the MLB lead with 199 hits. He completed ninth in NL MVP voting in 2018, when he hit a career-high 36 dwelling runs.
Carpenter gave the impression to be nearing the tip of his profession after a 2021 season wherein he batted .169 — his third consecutive yr hitting .226 or decrease.
However after beginning the 2022 season within the Texas Rangers’ minor-league system, Carpenter opted out of his contract and signed with the Yankees that Might. He was so desirous to contribute to an MLB membership that Carpenter joked he would “load the bags on the plane” if the Yankees requested him to.
With a rebuilt swing, Carpenter shortly grew to become a revelation.
At age 36, Carpenter hit .305 with 15 dwelling runs in solely 128 at-bats with the Yankees and sported a stellar 1.138 OPS. His mustache and pregame barefoot walks contributed to him changing into an immediate fan favourite.
A foul ball fractured his left foot that August, nonetheless, and introduced a sudden finish to Carpenter’s common season. Whereas Carpenter managed to return within the postseason, he was unable to regain his regular-season magic.
Carpenter spent the 2023 season with the Padres earlier than rejoining the Cardinals, with whom he hit .234 with 4 homers in 59 video games final yr.
In his profession, Carpenter appeared in 674 video games at third base; 356 at first base; 247 at second base; and 40 within the outfield. He led the NL with 95 walks in 2014 and drew greater than 100 free passes in two different seasons.
“I’m excited for what’s next,” Carpenter stated Tuesday, “and getting to spend some much-needed quality time with my wife and kids on a more consistent basis now that [I have] put the cleats up.”
