Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber announced his retirement Friday, ending an award-winning 13-season MLB career.
“As I take my leave from the pitcher’s mound, my passion for baseball remains unwavering,” the 37-year-old wrote in an Instagram post. “I eagerly anticipate exploring opportunities to continue contributing to the sport in a different capacity. To all who have been involved with my baseball odyssey, thank you for crafting an indelible and unforgettable ride.
“For all of those that will be part of my next chapter in baseball, I look forward to passing on what I have learned to the next generation of MLB players.”
A fourth-round pick out of Stetson in 2007 by the Padres, Kluber made his big-league debut with the Indians in 2011and quickly became a force, winning the first of his two Cy Young Awards in 2014.
He started Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, allowing six hits and four runs over four innings in an eventual 8-7 loss to the Cubs in an extra-innings instant classic.
Kluber was a three-time All-Star, earning honors in 2015, 2016, and 2017 — the same year he took home his second Cy Young on the heels of a masterful 18-4 season in which he lead the majors in wins, ERA (2.25), complete games (5) and shutouts (3).
In 2020, was traded to the Rangers, though his season ended after just three batters due to a torn right teres major muscle.
He joined the Yankees in 2021, and despite an injury-plagued season, threw the 12th no-hitter in franchise history.
“He’s missed a lot of time, but you’re talking about one of the great pitchers of the last decade,’’ Yankees manager Boone said after the storied game against the Rangers. “It’s a great story with some of the trials he’s been through and not having pitched much the last two seasons. [But] he’s in great shape, is healthy and now we’re seeing the fruits of a guy who knows what he’s doing.”
He made it through the 2022 season with the Ray, pitching to a 4.34 ERA in 31 starts, but right shoulder inflammation marred his 2023 campaign with the Red Sox, in which he posted a 7.04 ERA and a 3-6 record.