Overview
- Heyward disclosed his decision Friday on Instagram, then spoke about it on MLB Network’s MLB Central.
- He appeared in 1,824 games for the Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Astros and Padres, finishing with a .255 average, 186 home runs, 730 RBIs and about 41.5 wins above replacement.
- He earned a 2010 All-Star nod and five Gold Gloves and is widely credited for a galvanizing rain‑delay speech during the Cubs’ 2016 World Series win.
- He said he will mentor current and aspiring players and expand the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy, a youth program he founded in Chicago.
- The 2007 first‑round pick homered in his first MLB at‑bat in 2010 and later signed an eight‑year, $184 million deal with the Cubs that helped define his tenure in Chicago.