14-year MLB veteran Brandon Crawford announced his retirement from baseball Wednesday. The three-time All-Star shortstop played for the San Francisco Giants from 2011 to 2023 before finishing with the St. Louis Cardinals last season. Crawford announced the decision on his Instagram page.
After 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, including 1,655 games in an #SFGiants uniform, Brandon Crawford has officially retired.
Thank you for the incredible memories, Craw! ? pic.twitter.com/tfNu1uJqkq
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) November 27, 2024
Brandon Crawford Announces Retirement After 14 Seasons
Crawford broke in with the Giants in 2011, one year removed from their first World Series championship in San Francisco since moving there in 1958. Although he was a fairly light hitter for his first few years, his steady club helped contribute to the Giants’ winning ways. They won the World Series twice more, in 2012 and 2014. Likely his most memorable postseason moment was a grand slam in the 2014 National League Wild Card Game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The fourth-inning shot gave San Francisco a 4-0 lead and was the first postseason grand slam hit by a shortstop in MLB history.
10/1/2014: Brandon Crawford became the first shortstop in #MLB history to slug a #postseason grand slam with this dinger in the NL Wild Card Game.#SFGiants (via MLB) @RoundTheFoghorn @McCoveyChron pic.twitter.com/mZXwQcFPzD
— MLB Daily Dingers (@MLBDailyDingers) October 1, 2024
Crawford’s first All-Star campaign came in 2015. That year, he hit .256 with a then-career-high 21 homers, 84 RBI, 33 doubles, and a .782 OPS. He would win his first of four career Gold Gloves and his only Silver Slugger that season. In 2016, Crawford led MLB with 11 triples on his way to a 12th-place finish for NL MVP. He also made the All-Star team in 2018. But the one season where everything clicked for Crawford was 2021. He hit career highs in all three Triple Crown categories with a .298 average, 24 homers, and 90 RBI. His .895 OPS was also a career-best. The Giants had their best regular season in franchise history, winning 107 games, but their season ended with a devastating Division Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Crawford finished fourth in NL MVP voting.
Last season, the Cardinals took a flyer on Crawford, hoping he could provide some veteran leadership as a role player. Following a subpar offensive performance in limited playing time, he was released in August.
For his career, Crawford hit .249 with 147 home runs, 748 RBI, and a .713 OPS. He had 1,404 career hits, 295 of which were doubles, and 44 were triples. His career WAR stands at 29.4.
Photo Credit: © D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
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