Jacob Heatherly’s return to affiliated ball with the White Sox ended the way nobody expected when he signed that minor league deal in January: with a retirement announcement before the year was over.
The left-hander got off to a clean start in camp, throwing two scoreless innings out of Chicago’s bullpen in spring training before heading to Double-A Birmingham to begin the regular season. For a while, it looked like he was building momentum. By May 1, he owned a 1.29 ERA, with only three hits allowed and 12 strikeouts in seven innings.
Then the command problems surfaced. A few rough outings blew up his ERA, pushing it north of 6 on more than one occasion. He spent most of July on the development list, and the White Sox released him on July 23.
Still unsigned at 28, Heatherly announced on Tuesday, Sept. 8, that he was walking away from the game.
“After a lot of prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to officially retire from baseball,” Heatherly wrote on his Instagram account.
Heatherly’s career spanned seven minor league seasons with the Reds and White Sox, and the numbers tell the full story of the ride. He finished 14-17 with a 5.45 ERA, striking out 285 in 213 innings. He also issued 204 walks and left the minors with a 1.78 WHIP.
A third-round pick by Cincinnati in the 2017 MLB Draft, Heatherly came out of Cullman (Ala.) High School after being named the Class 6A Pitcher of the Year in 2017. He even earned a look in Reds major league spring training in 2024 and didn’t allow a run there.
But the setbacks kept piling up. Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2022 season, and after that he never really got rolling again at Double-A.
Heatherly still found a way to get back into game shape after not pitching in affiliated ball during the 2025 season. In a workout last December, he reported a fastball at 97.4 mph as part of a four-pitch mix, and that performance led to the White Sox contract offer for 2026.
That turned out to be the final stop. In his retirement message, Heatherly looked back on what the game gave him.
“Baseball has given me more than I could have ever imagined. It taught me about failure, perseverance, discipline, and what it means to chase a dream,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Most importantly, it gave me lifelong memories and relationships I’ll always cherish. I’ll forever love this game and be grateful for everything it gave me.
“Thank you, baseball. ❤️⚾️ On to the next chapter.”
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