Kirby Yates Hangs Up His Cleats After Memorable MLB Career

DETROIT — As fans filled the Comerica Park stands on September 26, emotions were running high, and eyes all around the stadium were filled with tears. A pair of MLB veterans were set to square off for the final time in each of their careers, and it was set to be a “can’t-miss” day for baseball fans all around the nation.

On the mound for the Detroit Tigers was Justin Verlander, one of the best right-handed pitchers to ever step foot on a baseball diamond. His MVP-winning career spanned over two decades, as Verlander filled up his trophy case while pitching for four different clubs.

Taking the mound for the Pirates would be reliever Kirby Yates, a 12-year veteran with a unique career journey that rivals most players around the league. He went from being undrafted out of a JUCO, to making his MLB debut at 27 years old, to winning a World Series ring with the Dodgers in 2025.

Yates’ start was the first and final of his long career, and it was certainly a memorable one. Yates and Verlander came close to the MLB record for the highest combined age between two starting pitchers, and both players got their sendoff as they walked off the mound for the final time.

Even though Yates was on the road and had never played for the Tigers, he was given a special ovation from the Comerica Park faithful. There’s no better way to leave an MLB field for the last time than by getting your moment and leaving on your own terms, which is exactly what he was able to do on Saturday.

Yates’ Impressive Career

After first setting foot on a professional mound back in 2010, Yates grinded through the minor leagues. He spent parts of four seasons in the minors before he reached the big leagues with the Rays in 2014, where he posted a 3.75 ERA in his first 36 innings.

Unfortunately, that taste of early success was the easiest of Yates’ early stints in the big leagues. What followed were two seasons where he struggled to find his footing between the Rays, Yankees, and Angels. What came next arguably changed his career forever: being claimed off waivers by the Padres.

He finished the rest of the 2017 season strong, striking out 87 batters in 55.2 innings pitched with San Diego. But the next two seasons cemented him as a true, dominant back-end of the bullpen piece, as he was lights out.

2018 saw Yates become one of the more valuable relievers in the sport. Only 18 relievers in baseball posted 1.8 fWAR or more during that season, and of them, Yates had the fourth-best ERA. He was able to build on this electric season the following year, as he turned in arguably the best campaign of his career.

In 2019, Yates pitched to a 1.19 ERA across 60 games, picking up 101 strikeouts in the process. Not only that, but he led baseball in saves with 41, posted an NL-reliever-leading 3.4 fWAR, was named to his first career All-Star team, and finished ninth in Cy Young voting. It was a spectacular season, and one of the best reliever campaigns in recent memory.

Unfortunately, rather than being able to build on this success into yet another stellar season, Yates saw some real challenges over the next three years. He missed all but 4.1 innings of the COVID-shortened 2020 season and missed the entirety of 2021 after having Tommy John surgery. 2022 was more of the same, as he battled injuries and missed all but seven innings.

In classic Kirby Yates fashion, though, he didn’t let those three years define him. Instead, they added to his resume and track record of rising above whatever adversity came his way. He finally became healthy in 2023, and he responded with another 60.1 innings of 3.28 ERA baseball for a Braves team that won 104 games.

After seeing this performance, the Texas Rangers gave him a one-year deal to bolster the bullpen that helped carry them to a World Series victory the year prior. Yates responded in grand fashion, turning in the second-best year of his career.

He posted the second-best reliever ERA in baseball at 1.17 (min. 50 innings pitched), struck out 85 batters in 61.5 innings, and was named to the All-Star team for the second time in his career. As if that wasn’t enough, he was rewarded by the BBWAA with an eighth-place finish in the AL Cy Young race.

Sadly, the next year brought back more adversity for the then-38-year-old. He struggled when healthy and battled injuries throughout the 2025 campaign. But it made it all worth it when the Los Angeles Dodgers finished off their second straight World Series.

Yates had another trophy to add to his case, and some extra motivation heading into what would inevitably be his retirement tour.

Going Out on a High Note

To begin his final year in the big leagues, Yates inked a one-year deal with the Angels. What was shaping up to be a quiet retirement season for a club that likely wouldn’t be contending turned into something much more than that.

Ahead of deadline day on August 3, Yates had put together quite a good season to that point. He had posted a 3.95 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 27.1 innings, quickly becoming one of the lockdown members of the club’s bullpen.

That’s when he got an unexpected phone call: He was being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Yates admitted to Ken Rosenthal that he didn’t think he had a chance to be traded, saying, “I did not think there was a market for a 39-year-old throwing 90 mph.” However, for the Pirates looking for significant bullpen help, anyone was an option.

Yates was valued heavily by the entirety of the Pirates clubhouse following the trade, as he was quickly embraced by veterans, rookies, and the city alike. During the final game of the season on September 27, Pirates field reporter Hannah Mears said on the broadcast that being traded reenergized Yates and brought back out the competitive side in him.

When he was healthy and on the field, it couldn’t have been clearer that this was the case.

Even though the Pirates eventually fell out of contention and Yates spent some time on the injured list, he gave it all he had. He recorded a 1.80 ERA across 15 innings down the stretch, which ultimately culminated in his sendoff on September 26.

Only 26 relievers since 2000 have recorded an ERA+ of 120 or better, earned at least 100 saves, and struck out 670 or more hitters. Yates is one of them, cementing his name in baseball history forever as one of the best relief pitchers of this era.

Showing that he’s capable of still getting guys out at 39 years old, Yates went out on top with 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball, notching his final career strikeout along the way. It was a special moment for the veteran who, despite battling injuries and plenty of adversity throughout his career, had completed his childhood dream of a career in the big leagues.