Former Dodgers All-Star, Cy Young candidate announces retirement after 12th MLB season

World Series - Tampa Bay Rays v Los Angeles Dodgers  - Game Six
World Series - Tampa Bay Rays v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game Six | Tom Pennington/GettyImages

After a dozen Major League seasons – including five with the Los Angeles Dodgers – former All-Star and World Series champion Alex Wood announced his retirement last Friday via social media.

“For over half my life, every decision I’ve made has centered around how it would impact my baseball career," Wood wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post. "I’ve given every ounce of myself in pursuit of my lifelong dream of becoming a big leaguer. Playing 12 years in the show, reaching seven postseasons, winning a World Series, and earning an All-Star selection — I never could’ve imagined it would turn out this way."

The highlights of Wood's career – his lone All-Star selection and his World Series win – both came during his time with the Dodgers.

Former Dodgers All-Star, World Series champ Alex Wood announces retirement after 12th MLB season

Wood was originally selected by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2012 MLB Draft and spent parts of three seasons pitching for the team that drafted him before being dealt to the Dodgers in July 2015.

The southpaw went on to spend two stints with the Dodgers spanning five seasons, posting a 3.54 ERA and pitching 447 1/3 innings for the club. He won the World Series with Los Angeles in 2020 and enjoyed a stellar All-Star season in 2017 that saw him post a 2.72 ERA through 152 1/3 innings.

In between his stints in Los Angeles, Wood appeared in just seven games for the Cincinnati Reds in 2019. His second stay with the Dodgers was much shorter than the first, lasting just one, pandemic-shortened season in 2020, but it would see him help the Dodgers win their first World Series since 1988.

Following his second stint with the Dodgers, Wood went on to pitch three seasons for the San Francisco Giants. He spent his last season with the Athletics in 2024 but spent much of the year on the injured list with left rotator cuff tendonitis that forced him to undergo arthroscopic surgery. He elected free agency after the 2024 campaign but never signed with a new team.

Wood finishes his Major League career with a 77-68 record, a 3.78 ERA and 1,173 strikeouts over 278 games (211 starts).

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