Brewers Home Run Leader Ryan Braun Retires

Ryan Braun with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020
Ryan Braun with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020. Photo by John Fisher/CSM/Shutterstock (10741530ad)

The 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun will remain a one-club man after all. Braun, who spent all of his 14 years in MLB with the Milwaukee Brewers, announced his retirement from professional baseball on Tuesday.

Braun opted to retire from baseball after not playing at all during the 2021 MLB season. The 37-year-old star was a free agent since the end of the 2020 campaign following Milwaukee’s decision not to offer him a contract extension.

In a statement shared on the Brewers’ official website, Braun said that he “weighed this decision for many months” before coming to terms that “the time is right for me to retire from my playing days.”

Braun, who is the franchise’s all-time leader in home runs, also recorded a video message for the Brewers fans that the team shared on their social media.

“I will forever appreciate the best fans in the game and the countless people who came out to the ballpark night after night, making Milwaukee the greatest city to play the game,” said Braun in the clip.

The Milwaukee Brewers also shared that they will honor Ryan Braun, his career, and contributions to the franchise on September 26th, when they play their last home game of the regular season against the New York Mets.

During his time as a pro, Braun made 1,766 MLB appearances in a Brewers jersey. He has 352 career homers with a .296 batting average and 1,154 RBIs. On top of the NL MVP award, he also earned six All-Star nods and received five Silver Slugger awards.