Longtime Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who helped end World Series drought, retiring after 12 seasons

Kyle Hendricks is calling it a career.

The longtime Chicago Cubs pitcher is retiring on Monday after 12 years in Major League Baseball, according to the Chicago Sun Times’ Maddie Lee. Hendricks spent all but one of his dozen years in the league with the Cubs, and played last summer with the Los Angeles Angels.

Advertisement

Hendricks made his MLB debut in 2014, three years after he was first selected in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers. He made 13 starts as a rookie and held a 2.46 ERA that season while quickly becoming a mainstay in the Cubs’ rotation.

His best campaign came in 2016, the same year that the Cubs beat the Cleveland Guardians in the World Series to snap a title drought that had lasted more than a century. Hendricks held a 2.13 ERA that year, the best in the league while compiling a 16-8 record in 30 starts. He started in Game 7 of the World Series that fall, too, a contest the Cubs eventually won in extra innings.

Advertisement

Hendricks held the Cincinnati Reds to just two hits in more than seven innings in his last start with the Cubs in 2024, which drew a massive reaction from the fans at Wrigley Field in what was his last game with the franchise.

“I hate all that attention, but in the end, I know I have to soak in these moments,” Hendricks said after that game, via the Sun Times. “And that’s what the Wrigley fans are there for. They’re so special. They’re the best in the world. To play here in Wrigley Field, I’m just such a lucky guy.”

Hendricks left for the Angels last offseason for one final year in the league. He held a 4.76 ERA and an 8-10 record in Anaheim. The Angels went just 72-90 and missed the playoffs for an 11th straight year. In total, Hendricks finished his career with a 105-91 record and a 3.79 ERA in 301 starts. According to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, Hendricks has no plans currently to get into a coaching or front office role with the Cubs or elsewhere in the league.

The Cubs went 92-70 last season and made the playoffs for the first time since 2020. They were eliminated in the divisional round by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Related Posts

🚨BREAKING: Yankees’ Aaron Boone just shut the door on one major trade possibility — and the message couldn’t be clearer. With one firm statement, Boone reshaped the conversation around New York’s offseason plans and signaled which path the front office will not take. The ripple effects are already being felt 👇👇👇

Aaron Boone Shuts the Door on a Major Yankees Trade Scenario — and Signals Confidence in the Rotation 4 For most of the winter, one theme followed…

🚨BREAKING: Cubs historical sleuthing takes a fascinating turn with the Starlin Castro–Tyler Colvin edition. Two very different paths, one pivotal era, and forgotten moments that quietly shaped Chicago’s trajectory more than fans realized at the time. Looking back now, the connections hit differently 👇👇👇

Cubs Historical Sleuthing: The Night Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin Waited in the Dark 4 Some baseball photographs scream action — a swing frozen in mid-air, a…

🔥 BREAKING the New York Mets are facing what insiders are calling a “holding penalty” for keeping a struggling player on the roster for another season, sparking a wave of speculation across fanbases as everyone tries to figure out why the Mets are sticking with a decision that could cost them on the field—and in the standings..ll 👇👇👇

There is nothing quite like watching a homegrown player bloom under the bright lights of the Major Leagues. Fans of the New York Mets know this feeling…

CARDINALS FANS, CLING TO THIS ONE GLIMMER OF HOPE — Amid the Painful Rebuild, a Hidden Sign Is Emerging That Could Turn St. Louis’ Dark Days Into the Dawn of a New Dynasty… and It’s Something You Won’t See Coming

Mar 7, 2019; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays senior vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom looks on before a game against the Toronto Blue…

🔥 REPORT: Jараneѕe рhenom Rokі Sаѕаkі hаѕ ѕhocked the bаѕebаll world аѕ he begіnѕ crаftіng two brаnd-new ріtcheѕ to elevаte hіѕ gаme to the level demаnded by the Loѕ Angeleѕ Dodgerѕ.👇👇

The mound аt the Unіverѕіty of аrіzonа’ѕ bаѕebаll fіeld gleаmѕ under the deѕert ѕun аѕ Rokі ѕаѕаkі uncoіlѕ, hіѕ fаѕtbаll hummіng through the аіr. Juѕt dаyѕ before…

🔥 BREAKING: The Boѕton Red Sox hаve offіcіаlly flіррed the bаѕebаll world uрѕіde down аfter рullіng off а ѕtunnіng 3-for-1 blockbuѕter to lаnd аn All-Stаr wіth two full yeаrѕ of control.👇👇

Boѕton Red ѕox fаnѕ, buckle uр—your teаm juѕt рulled off the blockbuѕter move thаt’ѕ got the entіre MLB buzzіng! іn а jаw-droрріng 3-for-1 trаde wіth the Houѕton…