Brandon Crawford, a three-time All-Star shortstop, announced his retirement on Wednesday through his Instagram account. Crawford spent 13 of his 14 MLB seasons with the San Francisco Giants, winning World Series titles in 2012 and 2014. He earned four Gold Glove Awards throughout his career.
His standout season came in 2021 when he finished fourth in the National League MVP voting, hitting .298 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs in 138 games.
Although Crawford, 37, played the 2024 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, he will be remembered as one of the greatest shortstops in Giants history. He set a franchise record by playing 1,617 games at shortstop, surpassing the previous mark of Hall of Famer Travis Jackson, who played 1,326 games from 1922 to 1936.
“Growing up in the Bay Area and attending games at Candlestick, I always dreamed of playing for the San Francisco Giants,” Crawford shared. “Being drafted by my hometown team and spending the majority of my career with them has exceeded any childhood dream I had. I used to pretend to win a World Series in my backyard, but actually winning two? That’s beyond anything I could have imagined.”
“I always dreamed of being the shortstop for the Giants, but I never imagined I would break the team record for most games played at that position,” Crawford said.
Crawford made his MLB debut in 2011 and played a pivotal role in the Giants’ World Series victories in 2012 and 2014. He was selected as an NL All-Star for the first time in 2015 and was named to the All-Star team again in 2018 and 2021.
“Watching Brandon play was a true privilege, not just for me, but for Giants fans everywhere,” said Giants CEO Larry Baer in a statement. “He was an All-Star, a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, a two-time World Series champion, and a player who always carried himself with class, honor, and respect.”
Last season, Crawford appeared in only 28 games for the St. Louis Cardinals, hitting .169 with one home run and four RBIs before being released by the team in August.
“It’s been an unforgettable journey,” Crawford reflected. “Thank you to the Giants for giving me the chance to live my dream and be a part of so many memorable moments throughout my career in San Francisco.”
