All-Star left-hander Alex Wood announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Friday after 12 seasons.
Wood, 34, last pitched in the majors in 2024 with the then-Oakland Athletics, posting a 1-3 record with a 5.26 ERA in nine appearances (all starts).
“For over half my life, every decision I’ve made has centered around how it would impact my baseball career,” Wood wrote on Instagram. “I’ve given every ounce of myself in pursuit of my lifelong dream of becoming a big leaguer. Playing 12 years in the show, reaching 7 postseasons, winning a World Series, and earning an All-Star selection — I never could’ve imagined it would turn out this way.
“Baseball was my first love. Outside of God and my family, nothing else has shaped me the way this game has. Even writing this, I can’t help but smile thinking about how much I still love the game after all this time.”
An All-Star in 2017 and World Series champion in 2020, Wood is 77-68 with a 3.78 ERA in 278 career games (211 starts) with the Atlanta Braves (2013-15), Los Angeles Dodgers (2015-18, 2020), Cincinnati Reds (2019), San Francisco Giants (2021-23) and Athletics (2024).