Breaking: Kyle Hendricks to Retire After 2025 Season
Bob Nightengale has reported on Monday morning that Kyle Hendricks is retiring after the 2025 season concludes. Hendricks is the second member of the 2016 Cubs to retire, following Anthony Rizzo‘s announcement earlier this month.
Hendricks was acquired by the Cubs in 2012 from the Texas Rangers in a trade that sent Ryan Dempster to Arlington. He made his major league debut on July 10, 2014, against the Cincinnati Reds. The right-hander went on to win National League Rookie of the Month honors in August of that year, finishing the season with a 2.46 ERA in 13 games. He placed seventh in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, posting a 1.08 WHIP and a 154 ERA+.
The World Series wasn’t the only highlight of 2016, as Hendricks turned in the best year of his career. His 2.13 ERA led all of baseball, and he logged 190.0 innings over the season. He finished third in the Cy Young voting and also received votes for the MVP award. One of his most memorable performances that year came in Game 6 of the NLCS, when he shut down the Dodgers to send the Cubs to the World Series.
Kyle Hendricks = Cubs LEGEND 🔥
He sent the Cubs to the World Series with 7.1 scoreless innings in NLCS Game 6!
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 24, 2025
Some people forget that he could swing the bat a little as well. Hendricks recorded 37 hits throughout his career, driving in 16 runs.
The pitcher! Kyle Hendricks helped get the @Cubs off to an early lead.
Visit https://t.co/tmrbR6S54E for channel info. pic.twitter.com/99jjaJMz2W
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 9, 2016
While he wasn’t a flashy pitcher, Hendricks was one of the best in the game when it came to command and limiting damage. He consistently located his pitches with precision, deceiving hitters despite his well-below-average velocity.
Over his career with the Cubs, Hendricks threw 1,637.1 total innings. He started 281 games and posted a regular-season ERA of just 3.68. He was even better in the playoffs, with a 3.12 ERA and a 1.197 WHIP. During the Cubs’ 2016 World Series run, the right-hander pitched 25.1 innings and recorded a microscopic 1.42 ERA.
Hendricks is currently projected to make his final start on Friday against the Houston Astros, a game that will likely carry significant playoff implications for Houston.
Thank you for everything, Professor. Class is dismissed.
