Ex-Yankees Pitcher J.A. Happ Announces Retirement

Happ pitched 13 seasons in the big leagues, wearing pinstripes for three years from 2018 to 2020.

Longtime left-hander J.A. Happ has thrown his final big-league pitch. 

Happ, 39, announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Tuesday, detailing his decision to step away from the game in an appearance on the Heart Strong Podcast with Jessica Lindberg.

Here's what Happ had to say on the podcast, revealing that he went back and forth all winter, staying ready in case an opportunity to continue pitching presented itself. 

“It got to the point where it was Opening Day, and I turned the first game on, and I talked to my wife, Morgan, and I said ’What are you feeling?’ She just kind of looked at me and was like, ’A little anxiety.’ I wanted to turn it on to see what I felt, too, and I didn’t maybe feel what I needed to feel in order to be like I wanted to keep doing this. I felt like that was a sign, like ’OK, it’s time to go.’ Even though I had put the work in to be ready if the right situation came, I felt like it was time to move on and be a dad and dive into the kids a little bit.

It was emotional. Something I didn’t expect. I called my agent that day, right after we turned that game on, and said, ’I think this is it.’ I told the people I feel like I needed to tell. I think I’m still processing it, but I do wake up feeling good about it, and I’m happy to start the process of being a full-time dad, for the time being, at the very least.”

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The southpaw played for 13 MLB seasons, suiting up for eight different teams along the way. After playing college ball at Northwestern University, the lefty was a third-round pick in 2004 to the Phillies. 

Happ began his big-league career with the Phillies three years later, debuting in 2007. He ended up pitching for four years with Philadelphia, eventually ending up with the Blue Jays, where he spent the majority of his career (six seasons).

In July of 2018, Happ was dealt from Toronto to the Yankees for third baseman Brandon Drury and left fielder Billy McKinney. Happ ended that season with one of the best stretches of his career, posting a 2.69 ERA with a perfect 7-0 record over 11 starts.

Happ ended up with a 4.13 ERA over three seasons with the Yankees, finishing his tenure in pinstripes during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020.

The next year, Happ pitched for the Twins and Cardinals. His final appearance was in St. Louis, a quality start and win over the Brewers on September 30, the 133rd win of his career.

Happ retires with a 4.13 career ERA, 1,661 strikeouts, 1,822 hits allowed and 21.5 bWAR in 354 games (1,893.2 innings pitched). The lefty was an All-Star in 2018, finished second in the race for the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2009 and earned a sixth-place finish in the race for the AL Cy Young Award in 2016. He earned more than $87 million, per Spotrac.

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