Major League Baseball honored longtime Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks with a social media post on Friday as the veteran righty moves into retirement.
The league shared a graphic of Hendricks waving to the Wrigley Field crowd, with the words “THANK YOU” and the Cubs and Los Angeles Angels logos, on its official X/Twitter account. Hendricks, who turns 36 in December, started 31 games and posted a 4.76 ERA for the Angels this past season.
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The post primarily highlighted Hendricks’ 2016 season, when he led MLB with a 2.13 ERA in 190 innings. He also excelled in the postseason, allowing only four runs over 25 1/3 playoff innings. Hendricks notably started Game 7 of the World Series, limiting the then-Cleveland Indians to one run over 4 2/3 innings. Chicago defeated Cleveland, 8‑7, in 10 innings for the Cubs’ first championship since 1908.
The MLB Players Association celebrated Hendricks with their own X/Twitter post earlier this week.
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“Kyle Hendricks’ competitiveness and resourceful approach to pitching made him a World Series winner, an ERA champion and a longtime favorite among [Cubs] fans,” the MLBPA wrote. “Thank you for your efforts on behalf of your fellow players and best wishes in your retirement!”
What to Know About Kyle Hendricks’ MLB Career
A 2011 Texas Rangers eighth-round pick, Hendricks joined the Cubs’ organization in a July 2012 trade involving veteran starter Ryan Dempster. He debuted less than two years later, allowing four runs and striking out seven over six innings in an 11-inning Cubs victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
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Kyle Hendricks started Game 7 of the 2016 World Series for the Chicago CubsGene J. Puskar/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports
Hendricks finished his rookie season 7‑2 with a 2.46 ERA in 80 1/3 innings across 13 starts. His 2.9 bWAR ranked fourth on an 89-loss Cubs team, and he finished seventh in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
Although Hendricks never made an All-Star Game, he became a reliable starting pitcher for Chicago. From 2015‑20, he went 62‑46 with a 3.17 ERA and an 835‑211 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 967 innings. The Cubs reached the postseason five times in those six years.
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A shoulder injury limited Hendricks to 40 starts during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Previously one of MLB’s most durable starters, he averaged 28 starts per season from 2015‑21, with the 2020 shortened campaign accounting for just 12 starts.
Chicago moved him to the bullpen after he posted a 10.57 ERA in his first seven starts of 2024. Hendricks returned to the rotation after only five relief appearances and recorded a 4.73 ERA over his final 17 starts.
Hendricks retires with a 105‑91 record, a 3.79 ERA, and 23.8 bWAR in 1,745 innings over 307 games and 301 starts.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.