Outfielder who helped lead Cubs to 2016 World Series win over Guardians retires

For 17 minutes after the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series, the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago Cubs waited through a rain delay. 

And while eventual World Series MVP Ben Zobrist picked up the go–ahead hit in the tenth inning once play resumed, Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward was just as much of a reason for the Guardians suffering the loss as Zobrist thanks to this famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) rain delay speech that helped galvanize the Cubs.

But his MLB impact came to an end on Friday, as he announced his retirement from baseball after 16 big league seasons. 

Former Guardians nemesis Jason Heyward announces retirement from MLB 

Heyward broke into the big leagues in 2010 as a member of the Atlanta Braves, where he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting and made his only All-Star team. He spent the five years of his career with Atlanta before they flipped him to the Cardinals, where he had a stellar 2015 season (.293/.359/.439, 13 HR, 60 RBI).  

He was able to parlay that strong season into an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs, which still stands as the largest deal in franchise history. While he had the speech heard around the world during the World Series, his time with the Cubs was largely a disappointment, as he never had a season where he was worth more than 2.4 bWAR. 

He won both of his Gold Gloves during his time in Chicago (2016 and 2017) and his best season with the Cubs came in 2019 when he hit .251 with 21 home runs and 62 RBI. 

He largely struggled at the plate against Cleveland in that World Series (3-for-20 in six games), he provided steady play in the outfield, stole four bases and provided his aforementioned speech in Chicago’s victory. 

Heyward’s time with the Cubs came to an end after the 2022 season and he authored a solid bounce-back season with the Dodgers in 2023.

The Dodgers designated him for assignment mid-way through 2024, and he ended up finishing the year with the Astros. He started last year with the Padres but was designated for assignment after 34 games. 

Heyward is finishing his career with a .255/.336/.408 slashline and an OPS+ of 101, meaning he was 1% better than league average throughout his career. 

Heyward is the second player from that World Series to retire recently, following former Cleveland catcher Roberto Pérez, who also retired during the week. 

If anything, those retirements are a testament to José Ramírez’s longevity, as he’s the only player from the Series who is still with their original team. And he won’t be going anywhere any time soon thanks to the team-friendly extension he signed during the offseason.