Kyle Hendricks Announces Retirement After 12-Year MLB Career

Kyle Hendricks, the right-handed pitcher known for his significant contributions to the Chicago Cubs, has announced his retirement after a distinguished 12-year career in Major League Baseball. According to reports from Deadspin, the 35-year-old Hendricks spent his first eleven seasons with the Cubs before joining his hometown Los Angeles Angels in 2025.

In this final season, he concluded with an 8-10 record and a 4.76 ERA across 31 starts, striking out 114 batters and issuing 43 walks over 164 and two-thirds innings. Over his career, Hendricks participated in 307 regular-season games, with 301 of those being starts, achieving a 105-91 record and a career ERA of 3.79.

Hendricks will forever be remembered in Chicago for his stellar performance during the Cubs' historic 2016 season. That year, he posted a remarkable 16-8 record with a league-leading 2.13 ERA, earning him third place in the National League Cy Young Award voting.

His postseason performance in 2016 was also noteworthy; he recorded a 1-1 record with a 1.42 ERA, racking up 19 strikeouts compared to just seven walks in 25 and one-third innings pitched over five starts.

A highlight of his postseason was his seven and one-third shutout innings pitched against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, a performance that was pivotal in sending the Cubs to the World Series.

In the World Series against the Cleveland Indians, Hendricks maintained a 1.00 ERA across two starts, contributing to the Cubs' first championship in 108 years. After signing a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Angels last November, Hendricks returned to his roots in Orange County, California, where he grew up.

His journey in baseball began when he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the eighth round of the 2011 draft, later being traded to the Cubs in a deal involving right-hander Ryan Dempster. The retirement of Kyle Hendricks marks the end of an era for both the Cubs and the Angels, as he leaves behind a legacy of excellence on the mound and a deep connection with the fans.