Houston Astros Well-Known Veteran Outfielder Predicted to Retire Soon

Could newly acquired Houston Astros outfielder Jason Heyward be playing in his final season?

Sep 2, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Houston Astros outfielder Jason Heyward (22) runs to third on a double hit by outfielder Chas McCormick (not pictured) in the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

For the stretch run, the Houston Astros recently brought in a well-known name around the game in outfielder Jason Heyward. 

After some successful years with the Chicago Cubs, Heyward joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023. Last season, Heyward played well for the Dodgers, as he totaled a .269 batting average with 15 home runs and 40 RBIs. 

However, this season has not been as kind to Heyward. Prior to joining the Astros, Heyward was hitting just .208 with an on-base percentage under .300 for Los Angeles. The poor season resulted in the Dodgers deciding to move on from Heyward, and Houston decided to pick him up. 

Since joining the Astros, Heyward has been playing mostly off the bench in situational spots as expected. In five games since joining Houston, he has totaled two hits in nine at-bats with one double. 

At 35-years-old, with a big drop in production compared to last season, Heyward’s playing career might be ending. 

Will Leitch of MLB.com recently predicted that Heyward could be a player that retires soon. 

“Few players have had a more stirring introduction to the big leagues than Heyward, a Georgia native who, in his first game with the Braves, homered with Hank Aaron in attendance. It looked like we were seeing a future Hall of Famer in the making, and while it didn’t turn out that way, Heyward still holds an undeniable place in MLB history thanks to his time with the Cubs, when he was one of the key leaders on the 2016 team that won the franchise's first World Series in 108 years. (His rain-delay speech will forever be the stuff of legend.) Released by the Dodgers on Aug. 24 amidst a roster crunch, Heyward quickly caught on with the Astros and will have another shot to make a postseason impact this fall.”

Heyward came up as a highly touted prospect with the Atlanta Braves and looked like he was going to be a star after his first memorable at-bat. However, Heyward never lived up to the hype, as he only made one All-Star appearance in his rookie season. 

If this does end up being the final season for Heyward, he will have a chance to win another World Series, as the Astros are going to be a contender in the American League. 

Overall, it has been a very solid career for Heyward. While Cooperstown isn’t going to be in his future, winning a World Series with the Chicago Cubs and making an All-Star Game as a rookie are some impressive career accolades.