Veteran Pitcher J.A. Happ Retires After 15 MLB Seasons

Left-handed pitcher J.A. Happ announced his retirement from baseball after 15 MLB seasons in an appearance last week on “The Heart Strong” podcast with Jessica Lindberg.

Happ, 39, told Lindberg that he worked out this offseason in an effort to stay ready in case an opportunity came knocking. However, when he turned on the television on Opening Day, he realized that the time was right to move on.

“It got to the point where it was Opening Day, and I turned the first game on, and I talked to my wife, Morgan, and I said ’What are you feeling?’ She just kind of looked at me and said, ’A little anxiety.’ I wanted to turn it on to see what I felt, too, and I didn’t maybe feel what I needed to feel in order to think I wanted to keep doing this,” Happ explained. “I felt like that was a sign, like ’OK, it’s time to go.’ 

“Even though I had put the work in to be ready if the right situation came, I felt like it was time to move on and be a dad and dive into the kids. … It was emotional—something I didn’t expect. I called my agent that day, right after we turned that game on, and said, ’I think this is it.’ I told the people I feel like I needed to tell. I think I’m still processing it, but I do wake up feeling good about it, and I’m happy to start the process of being a full-time dad, for the time being, at the very least.”

Happ pitched for eight teams over the course of his 15 years in the majors, beginning with the Phillies in 2007 after playing his college ball at Northwestern. He went on to have stints with the Astros, Blue Jays, Mariners, Pirates, Yankees and Twins. 

Happ most recently pitched for the Cardinals in 2021, making 11 starts for St. Louis after he was traded by Minnesota in late July.

In 354 appearances in the majors, Happ made 328 starts and racked up a lifetime 133–100 record. He amassed a 4.13 career ERA, 1661 strikeouts, a 2.49 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 21.5 wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference. He was named an All-Star for the first and only time in his career in 2018 and was a part of the Philadelphia’s 2008 World Series championship team.