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A 2021 All-Star and 13-year MLB veteran, Kyle Gibson, officially announced his retirement from professional baseball on Thursday, during an episode of the “Serving It Up” podcast. The 37-year-old right-hander concluded a lengthy and durable career in which he played for five major league teams, including two separate stints with the Baltimore Orioles.
Gibson was selected 22nd overall by the Minnesota Twins in the 2009 MLB Draft out of the University of Missouri. Even though he faced early setbacks, including Tommy John surgery in 2011 while in Triple-A, he debuted in the majors in 2013. He went on to pitch seven seasons with Minnesota, compiling a 67-68 record and a 4.52 ERA. Renowned as a workhorse, Gibson threw over 160 innings in eight seasons and topped 180 innings in four.
Across 328 career starts, second only to Max Scherzer’s 329 since 2013, Gibson posted a 112-111 record, 4.60 ERA, and 1,520 strikeouts over 1,878 innings. He earned over $70 million during his career.
Gibson’s best individual season came in 2021 with the Texas Rangers, where he went 6-3 with a 2.87 ERA over 113 innings in the first half, earning his first and only All-Star selection. He was later traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at the deadline, recording his 1,000th career strikeout and contributing to their 2022 NL pennant win.
He later joined the Orioles in 2023, where he posted a 15-9 record (third in the AL) with a 4.73 ERA and 157 strikeouts across a league-high 33 starts and 192 innings. In 2024, pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals, Gibson made 30 starts, finishing with an 8-8 record, 4.24 ERA, and 151 strikeouts in 169.2 innings.
In his final MLB stint in 2025, Kyle Gibson rejoined the Orioles on a one-year, $5.25 million contract but struggled mightily. Over four starts, he allowed 16 runs in just 12.1 innings, posting a 16.78 ERA before being designated for assignment and released in May.
Gibson then signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays and bounced back with a dominant showing for Triple-A Durham, recording a 0.52 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 17.1 innings. Despite that success, no major league opportunity materialized, and after opting out in June, Gibson decided to retire, influenced by both the lack of offers and a well-timed family vacation.
Over his career, Gibson was renowned for his six-pitch mix, relying heavily on a 92.8 mph sinker and complementing it with a slider, cutter, changeup, curveball, and four-seamer. He built a reputation as a smart, adaptable pitcher who evolved from a hittable starter into a reliable innings-eater and veteran presence in the clubhouse.
