Josh Harrison, former Pirates All-Star, to retire after 13 seasons in MLB
Updated: 5:38 PM EDT May 31, 2025
A former Pittsburgh Pirates two-time All-Star has announced his retirement after 13 MLB seasons. Our news partners at the Trib said Josh Harrison announced his retirement Saturday morning in a post on social media, formally ending a 13-year career in which he batted .270/.316/.396, collected 1,080 hits, 218 doubles, 32 triples, 73 home runs and 388 RBIs while playing for the Pirates, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.“To all the fans, thank you for rocking with me everywhere I went,” Harrison said in the post. “The joy, passion and pride you watched me play with was all pure. The energy you all brought day and night made it easy to go play the game I love. I hope you were able to witness and feel that every time I stepped on the field.”He continued, saying, “I wore each and every one of those jerseys with pride. Each place holds a special place in my heart for different reasons. I’ll be sure to take a piece of each city with me wherever I go.”Harrison played five positions for the Pirates in 2014, when he batted .298 through the first 72 games and was selected as a utility player for the National League in the All-Star Game, the Trib stated. In 2015, Harrison signed a four-year contract extension with the Pirates through 2018. He had another All-Star season in 2017, when he batted .272/.339/.432 with 26 doubles and a career-high 16 home runs.Harrison publicly requested a trade when Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole were dealt within days of one another that January, but played 97 games and batted .250/.293/.363 in his final season in Pittsburgh, the Trib continued. In his post on social media, Harrison saved his final thanks towards the game itself, baseball. “Thank you for helping shape me, humble me, and give me a platform to grow, not just as a player, but a man,” Harrison wrote. “I’m blessed to have been a 2x all-star and to play for as long as I did, but I never sought to prove people wrong, only to prove myself right in my beliefs.”
PITTSBURGH —
A former Pittsburgh Pirates two-time All-Star has announced his retirement after 13 MLB seasons.
Our news partners at the Trib said Josh Harrison announced his retirement Saturday morning in a post on social media, formally ending a 13-year career in which he batted .270/.316/.396, collected 1,080 hits, 218 doubles, 32 triples, 73 home runs and 388 RBIs while playing for the Pirates, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.
“To all the fans, thank you for rocking with me everywhere I went,” Harrison said in the post. “The joy, passion and pride you watched me play with was all pure. The energy you all brought day and night made it easy to go play the game I love. I hope you were able to witness and feel that every time I stepped on the field.”
He continued, saying, “I wore each and every one of those jerseys with pride. Each place holds a special place in my heart for different reasons. I’ll be sure to take a piece of each city with me wherever I go.”
Harrison played five positions for the Pirates in 2014, when he batted .298 through the first 72 games and was selected as a utility player for the National League in the All-Star Game, the Trib stated.
In 2015, Harrison signed a four-year contract extension with the Pirates through 2018. He had another All-Star season in 2017, when he batted .272/.339/.432 with 26 doubles and a career-high 16 home runs.
Harrison publicly requested a trade when Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole were dealt within days of one another that January, but played 97 games and batted .250/.293/.363 in his final season in Pittsburgh, the Trib continued.
In his post on social media, Harrison saved his final thanks towards the game itself, baseball.
“Thank you for helping shape me, humble me, and give me a platform to grow, not just as a player, but a man,” Harrison wrote. “I’m blessed to have been a 2x all-star and to play for as long as I did, but I never sought to prove people wrong, only to prove myself right in my beliefs.”