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Former Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Friday, ending a 12-season career that included a 2017 All-Star selection and a 2020 World Series championship.
Announcing his decision via Instagram, Wood wrote:
“Today, with immense gratitude, I am announcing my retirement from Major League Baseball. For over half my life, every decision I’ve made has centered around how it would impact my baseball career. 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.”
The Dodgers honored Wood on X, writing: “Congratulations Alex on a memorable career! Thank you for your contributions to the 2020 World Series championship team and representing the Dodgers as an All-Star.”
Wood, 34, last pitched in 2024 with the then-Oakland Athletics, recording a 1-3 record, a 5.26 ERA, and a 1.78 WHIP in nine starts before shoulder surgery ended his season. Over his career, the Charlotte, N.C., native compiled a 77-68 record with a 3.78 ERA in 278 games (211 starts) for the Atlanta Braves (2013-15), Dodgers (2015-18, 2020), Cincinnati Reds (2019), San Francisco Giants (2021-23), and Athletics (2024). He earned more than $62 million in salary over his career.
Drafted in the second round by the Braves in 2012 out of Georgia, Wood debuted with Atlanta in 2013 and was traded to Los Angeles in 2015 in a three-team deal. His best season came in 2017, when he opened the year 10-0 and finished 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a top-10 finish in NL Cy Young voting. That postseason, he posted a 2.92 ERA while helping the Dodgers secure their first pennant since 1988.
Wood returned to the Dodgers in 2020, making four postseason appearances, including starting Game 6 of the World Series, as Los Angeles defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to clinch its first championship in 32 years. He was part of seven postseason teams during his career.
