Former Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward officially announced his retirement from MLB in an emotional Instagram post on Friday.

“I’d like to take one last time to show LOVE to the game of BASEBALL as a player,” Heyward wrote.

Heyward calls it a career at age 36 after a 16-year career in Major League Baseball, the majority of which was spent the Chicago Cubs. Heyward came to the team after a career-year in St. Louis, where he posted a 7.0 bWAR with an impressive .271/.351/.384 slash line. Those numbers helped Heyward net a $184 million contract with the Cubs ahead of the historic 2016 season, which still stands as the largest deal in team history.

Although Heyward never quite lived up to those offensive numbers from 2015, he was a perennial Gold Glove candidate for the Cubs in right field, a team leader in the clubhouse, and a vital component of the World Series-winning team.

Cubs fans will never forget Jason Heyward’s role in 2016 World Series

Cubs fans know that the team likely would not have won that championship without Heyward, making his contract worth every penny. During an all-time great World Series between the Cubs and the Cleveland Indians, Game 7 went into a rain delay in the top of the tenth inning, where Heyward cemented his legacy in Chicago sports history.

He called a team meeting to remind them who they were: a 103-win team that dominated baseball that year. The Cubs went on to rally in the 10th inning to secure an 8-7 victory and take home the first Cubs championship in 108 years.

After playing for six MLB teams, winning five Gold Glove Awards, a second-place finish in National League Rookie of the Year voting, and that coveted World Series ring, Heyward was released by the San Diego Padres last June.

Although his next steps are unclear, Heyward opened a baseball academy in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood in 2023. On MLB Network, Heyward said he looks forward to being a potential mentor to young baseball players.

With this year being the tenth anniversary of the 2016 World Series, I would expect to see Heyward around Wrigley Field and on Marquee Sports Network a lot over the coming months/years.