*Photo from Yahoo Sports*
This All-Star is choosing to hang up the cleats. Outfielder Michael Brantley has announced his retirement after 15 seasons in the major leagues.
The last two seasons have been filled with doubt around Brantley's availability as he battled multiple shoulder surgeries. He only played in 79 regular season games over the last two years and 8 playoff games, being a part of the Houston Astros 2022 World Series championship team despite not having played since June of that year.
Brantley said of deciding to retire that "I have young kids, and now it’s time to be a dad, first and foremost. It’s time for me to be home 24/7, watch my kids grow up and not miss important milestones."
2021 was the last full season Brantley played, and he earned his 5th All Star game selection that year. He posted a .311/.362/.437 slash line with a 119 OPS+, hitting 8 home runs and 29 doubles while driving in 47 runs in 121 games. He had 22 hits and drove in 9 runs that postseason.
Nicknamed Dr. Smooth, Brantley was one of the better contact hitters in the past decade, ending his career with a batting average just under .300 to go with over 300 doubles and 20 triples. Also known for delivering in the playoffs, he added one more big moment to his October resume in 2023 with a solo home run against Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins in game 4 of the ALDS, the game the Astros clinched the series win.
Joining Houston before the 2018 season, the Astros made the playoffs every year that Brantley played, as he wanted the chance to win every season. They made the World Series 3 times, winning once in 2022. When the Astros playoff run ended in 2023, he thought he might have played his final game.
Brantley recalled the end of the season and his possible retirement, saying "I didn't have that much thinking to do. I had been talking with my family about it a lot during the year. It was a long season for me. My family was with me for the playoffs. That night, there were just a lot of hugs. I am so grateful for the opportunity to play baseball and live the dream I’ve had."
Over his 15 years in the majors, Brantley has played for the Astros and the then-Cleveland Indians, debuting in 2009. He ends his career with a .298/.355/.439 slash line and a 117 OPS+ to his name, hitting 348 doubles, 25 triples, and 129 home runs with 720 RBI's in 1,445 games. In the playoffs, he has a .283/.348/.373 slash line with 5 home runs and 27 RBI's in 62 games.
In addition to his World Series title, Brantley ends his career with 5 All Star game selections and a silver slugger award in addition to finishing in 3rd place in voting for the AL MVP in 2014.
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