adminOne of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) best pitchers, Cole Hamels, 39, is hanging up his cleats.
Hamels has announced his retirement after 15 seasons in the MLB, the Associated Press reported on Friday, citing the San Diego Padres organization and his agent.
Hamels was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 17th pick of the first round in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. A fastball-throwing left-hander who made a name for himself in high school, he drew interest from multiple teams and was selected by Philadelphia in the top round, living up to his label as a top prospect.
He made his big league debut in 2006. With a hard fastball and his trademark changeup, he quickly became an ace. In his second year, he broke out with 15 wins in 2007 and remained steady and reliable, winning double-digit games every year until 2012.안전놀이터
The highlight was the 2008 World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, where he pitched two games, won one, and posted a 2.77 ERA to help his team win the title. For his performance, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series.
Change was coming for the franchise star. In 2015, he was traded to the Texas Rangers. In 2016, he went 15-5 with a 3.32 ERA, but it was all downhill from there. He bounced between the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves, and was plagued by frequent injuries.
By September 17, 2020, he hadn’t taken a big league mound since. This was followed by shoulder surgery in 2021, forcing him into the rehab tunnel. In February of this year, he signed a minor league deal with his hometown team, the San Diego Padres, to extend his career.
In 15 seasons in the MLB, Hamels has a career record of 423 games, 2698 innings, 163 wins, 122 losses, a 3.43 ERA, and 2560 strikeouts.