CLEVELAND — Corey Kluber, the only pitcher in Cleveland baseball history to win two Cy Young Awards, has announced his retirement.
In a letter posted to his Instagram account, the 37-year-old Kluber says he is "concluding a remarkable 13-year Major League Baseball journey." He finishes with a record of 116-77, with a 3.44 ERA, 1,725 strikeouts, 122 ERA+ and a 1.129 WHIP.
Although he pitched for four other teams in his career, Kluber will be best remembered for his time pitching for the Cleveland Indians from 2011-2019. He won his first Cy Young Award in 2014, finishing 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA. In September of that year, Kluber posted back-to-back 14 strikeout games and went 5-1 with a 2.09 ERA as the Indians fell just short of a Wild Card berth.
Kluber was selected as an All-Star in 2016 as he helped lead the Indians to an American League Central Division crown, followed by a trip all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. He finished the regular season with an 18–9 record, 3.14 ERA, an AL-leading 149 ERA+, and 227 strikeouts in 215 innings. In the postseason, Kluber won Game 2 of the ALDS, Game 1 of the ALCS, and Games 1 and 4 of the World Series.
In 2017, Kluber would capture his second Cy Young Award, finishing with an 18-4 record, a microscopic 2.25 ERA, 265 strikeouts, 0.87 WHIP, five complete games, and three shutouts. Down the stretch, Kluber was dominant, finishing September with a 5–0 record, an 0.84 ERA, and 50 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched. The Indians went 25-4 that month, riding an American League record 22-game winning streak. Kluber won three of those games in the streak in September. However, that fall in the American League Division Series, Kluber was ineffective in his two starts against the Yankees, allowing nine runs, including four home runs, in 6.2 innings as the favored Indians lost to New York in five games.
After winning 20 games in 2018, Kluber spent much of 2019 out of action due to a fractured arm and an abdominal injury. He was traded to the Texas Rangers that offseason, but would pitch only one inning in 2020 due to a shoulder injury. Kluber signed a one-year deal with the New York Yankees in 2021 and would pitch the 12th no-hitter in team history on May 19 against the Rangers. However, injuries would limit him to just 16 appearances that year. Kluber pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022, followed by stint with the Boston Red Sox in 2023.
Although his playing career is over, Kluber indicated in his retirement letter that he's not done with the game of baseball.
"As I take my leave from the pitcher's mound, my passion for baseball remains unwavering. I eagerly anticipate exploring opportunities to continue contributing to the sport in a different capacity," he wrote.
You can read Kluber's farewell letter below:
The Cleveland Guardians paid tribute to Kluber on social media.