World Series Champion Pitcher Announces Retirement at Age of 36

After appearing in the big leagues in 11 different seasons, longtime right-handed pitcher Collin McHugh has announced his retirement.

Right-handed pitcher Collin McHugh, who won a World Series with the 2017 Houston Astros, has announced his retirement at the age of 36.

He put the post out on Instagram on Monday morning:

I was never the best player on any team I played for. Including my 7th grade church league team, on which I played catcher. I never did travel baseball. I went to a small private high school (@providenceacdmy) and a small NAIA college (@berrycollege). 

I got drafted in the 18th round by the @mets, most likely as a favor to my college coach. I threw 90 mph. I was NEVER supposed to make it out of A ball.

16 years later, it’s finally time for me to hang ‘em up. And as cringey as it might sound, I’m proud of myself. Proud that I didn’t give up. Proud of the clubhouses I’ve been lucky enough to have a locker in. Proud to be a member of the @mlbpa alongside this generation of amazing ballplayers.

To the @Mets, @Rockies, @Astros, @RedSox, @RaysBaseball, and my hometown @Braves. Thanks for taking a chance on a kid like me. I’ll never forget it ❤️

And don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I’ll be around the game forever. So if we see each other at a park near you, come say hey! ⚾️

McHugh pitched for the Mets and Rockies during the 2012-2013 seasons but really made his mark with the Astros. While with Houston, he was almost exclusively a starter. He started 25 games in 2014, 32 in 2015 and 33 in 2016. He also started 12 games during the World Champion 2017 season.

At that point, he became almost exclusively a reliever for the rest of his career. He had a dominant 2021 season with the Rays, going 6-1 in 37 appearances and then continued to be excellent in 2022 with the Braves, pitching to a 2.60 ERA.

He had 41 appearances this past season and helped Atlanta win the National League East.

All in all, he finishes 71-47 with a 3.72 career ERA.

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