At just 33 years old, Matt Beaty has decided to hang up his cleats and retire from professional baseball.
Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB Draft, Beaty’s career was marked by adaptability and skill. During his debut season in 2019, he posted a solid .265 batting average, accompanied by a .317 on-base percentage and a .458 slugging percentage. Over 268 plate appearances, he managed to hit nine home runs and drive in 46 runs.
Beaty thrived in Los Angeles, establishing himself as a key left-handed option at the plate. He showcased versatility on the field and reached career milestones in several statistical categories, including home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and OPS. A highlight of his time with the Dodgers was the dramatic two-run walk-off homer he smashed against the Colorado Rockies on June 21, 2019, just 58 plate appearances into his major league journey.
While the 2020 season presented its challenges, Beaty remained part of the team’s core during their successful World Series pursuit amid the COVID-19 pandemic-adjusted season.
In a significant career move, the Dodgers traded Beaty to the San Diego Padres in 2022. The trade involved River Ryan, who later became a critical element in the Dodgers’ negotiations for Tarik Skubal this past summer.
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Beaty last played a professional baseball game in September 2024 with the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Double-A affiliate. He’s also spent time with the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals.
Beaty has a .247 career batting average with 19 home runs and 96 RBIs across 290 regular season games.
In an Instagram post, he shared the news of his retirement.
“I believe it’s time to finally officially announce that I’m entering the next chapter of my life,” Beaty wrote. “It’s been almost two years since my last at-bat in baseball. The time since then has been filled with questions and back-and-forth. Should I keep playing? Is there another opportunity out there? Or is it finally time to close this chapter?
“In my experience, a decision like this isn’t easy. You spend your entire life devoting time, effort and sacrifice to a game. You make choices and give up opportunities because baseball doesn’t always allow you to experience life the way everyone else does. When something has been such a huge part of your life for so long, walking away is hard.
“Deep down, I think I knew my last game was my last game. I just held onto the hope that it wouldn’t be.”