After the Atlanta Braves were eliminated by the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLDS on Wednesday night at Suntrust Park, veteran catcher Brian McCann announced that he would not be returning to the game next season.
The Georgia native joined his hometown team for the 2019 season on a one-year contract in search of one last shot at a World Series title. He split catching duties with Tyler Flowers, batting .249 with 12 home runs in 85 games.
McCann is a product of the Atlanta Braves’ minor league system. The NL East franchise selected him in the second round of the 2002 MLB Draft out of Duluth High School in Duluth, Georgia. He quickly progressed through the Minor League system, making his Major League debut in 2005 at the age of 21.
The lefty-hitting catcher made seven All-Star teams in his career, six of which came during his original nine-season tenure with Atlanta. After signing a free agent deal with the Yankees after the 2012 season, McCann spent a couple of years in the Bronx before moving to the Houston Astros, where he won a World Series title in 2016.
McCann finishes his career with a .262/.337/.452 batting line, 282 home runs, and a career mark of 54.5 wins above replacement. He will go down as one of the past two decades’ most productive backstops and a well-respected player that was a borderline superstar.
