The 2025 MLB season was seemingly the last for longtime relief pitcher Ryan Pressly. He announced his retirement in mid-January after playing 13 years in the league. On Thursday, Pressly opened up about his decision to call it a career.
During a guest appearance on the “MLB Network,” the 37-year-old former reliever claimed that it was time to retire due to his body not feeling up to par throughout the 2025 campaign. Pressly ultimately decided to hang up the cleats on his own terms.
“I think the writing was on the wall for me,” said Ryan Pressly. “The body was banged up a lot. I got tired of waking up every day wondering which Ryan was gonna show up to the field. You know, with my knees, they weren't doing so hot. It just wasn't moving the way I wanted to anymore, and I could've still done it. But, you know how it is. It's just – it gets to be a grind toward the end of the season. It wears on you mentally a little bit.”
Ryan Pressly is calling it a career after 13 seasons in the Big Leagues! 👏
The 2x All-Star and World Series champion joined us to discuss the decision, his next chapter in baseball and more. pic.twitter.com/BxHGHZK7zt
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 29, 2026
Pressly played decently well as a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs in 2025, especially for someone who was in their 13th season in MLB. The two-time All-Star finished last season with a 4.35 ERA and 1.524 WHIP while recording 28 strikeouts and five saves through 41.1 innings pitched.
His first year in the majors came in 2013 with the Minnesota Twins, who he played for until 2018, when he was traded to the Houston Astros. Ryan Pressly was on the Astros team that won the World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022. He was then traded again before the 2025 campaign to the Cubs after waiving his no-trade clause with Houston.
Pressly retires with a career 3.33 ERA and 1.183 WHIP, along with 721 strikeouts and 117 saves. His presence in the postseason is where he shined the most. Ryan Pressly recorded 14 saves in the playoffs, which is good for the fifth-most in MLB history. Additionally, in the 2022 playoffs, Pressly went six-for-six in save opportunities in the Astros' route to a World Series.
The next venture for Pressly will be in coaching. Shortly after announcing his retirement, the Twins hired Ryan Pressly to be a player development coach for the 2026 season. So, he'll continue his career in baseball, but this time as a coach.
