Liam Hendriks is calling it a career after 14 seasons in the big leagues, ending a run that included three All-Star selections, two straight AL Reliever of the Year Awards and one of the more memorable late-career peaks by any reliever in the sport.
“After years of staring down hitters, I have decided to officially retire from Major League Baseball,” Hendriks said in his statement. “My arm has told me in no uncertain terms that it has exactly zero fastballs left in it, and my elbow has made it clear that throwing anything harder than a light breeze now requires a three-day recovery window.”
Hendriks finished with a 3.88 ERA over 490 games and 663 2/3 innings. He broke into the Majors as a starter before moving to the bullpen, where he settled in as one of the game’s top relief arms for an extended stretch with the A’s and White Sox.
His best work came from 2020-21, when he put up a 2.34 ERA and led MLB with 52 saves while taking home the AL Reliever of the Year Award in back-to-back seasons.
But Hendriks’ legacy went well beyond the box score. The Australian native played with plenty of fire and never hid it on the mound, bringing a level of emotion that made him stand out every time he pitched.
He also made a major impact away from baseball, earning seven nominations for the Roberto Clemente Award. Hendriks and his wife Kristi launched Hendriks’ Heroes, a nonprofit focused on cancer research, animal rescue and support for veterans and first responders.
His career also carried a heavy dose of resilience. Hendriks announced in January 2023 that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, then made it back to the mound that summer and won the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award. He later underwent Tommy John surgery in August and still managed one final 14-game stint with the Red Sox in 2025.
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