Few players left as lasting a mark on the St. Louis Cardinals during the 2010s as franchise cornerstone , and the beloved infielder has officially announced his retirement from Major League Baseball. He confirmed on the Sports Spectrum podcast that he’s stepping away from the game, ending a remarkable 13-year MLB career. Though there had been lingering hope he might catch on with another team in 2025, he is hanging up his cleats.
A 13th-round draft pick out of TCU in 2009, he wasn’t projected to be a star but quickly outperformed expectations. After a brief MLB debut in 2011, he impressed in his rookie season in 2012, hitting .294 with a .365 OBP and .463 SLG, finishing sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting with a 124 wRC+.
His breakout came in 2013, when he finished fourth in NL MVP voting and helped lead the Cardinals to the World Series. That year, he hit .318/.392/.481 with 11 home runs, 55 doubles, 78 RBIs, and 126 runs scored, producing a 7.2 fWAR. He became one of the league’s most effective leadoff hitters and proved invaluable by contributing across multiple positions.
From 2012 to 2018, Carpenter was a cornerstone of the Cardinals’ lineup, helping them to three NLCS appearances and one trip to the World Series. He was named to three All-Star teams, earned a Silver Slugger Award, and finished in the top 12 in MVP voting three times.
Over 12 seasons with St. Louis, Carpenter posted a .261/.366/.466 slash line, hit 159 home runs and 308 doubles, scored 767 runs, and drove in 659 RBIs. He had short stints with the Yankees and Padres before returning to the Cardinals in 2024 in a bench role, giving fans one last chance to cheer him on in a Cardinals uniform.
A Cardinals Hall of Fame induction is all but guaranteed for Carpenter. He was a fan favorite, an example of how to play the game the right way, and a key figure in one of the most successful stretches in recent team history.
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