For a time in the mid-2010s, Josh Donaldson was one of the best third basemen in MLB.
He was the definition of a two-way star, being a top performer with the bat and with the glove.
He even had some playoff moments with the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays at his peak.
But decline comes and gets everyone, and he was a shell of himself in the last two years of his career with the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers, and decided to hang up his cleats after a long, but productive career.
“Josh Donaldson has announced his retirement after 13 seasons, three All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger Awards, and 2015 AL MVP honors,” MLB tweeted on Monday.
Josh Donaldson has announced his retirement after 13 seasons, three All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger Awards, and 2015 AL MVP honors. pic.twitter.com/7XUZDZ4PxS
— MLB (@MLB) March 4, 2024
In his prime, Donaldson was capable of hitting near .300 with 40-homer power.
That’s what he did in 2015, the year in which he won the AL MVP award with the Jays: a .297 average and 41 home runs.
He had similar performances from 2013, the year of his breakout, until 2021, the last year prior to his decline.
He was an All-Star in 2014, 2015, and 2016, and won the MLB Comeback Player of the Year award in 2019 while playing for the Atlanta Braves.
Perhaps he wasn’t the most popular person in the game, and maybe he had his quirks, but there is no denying that the guy had talent to play baseball.
Slouches, or bums, don’t retire with a .261/.358/.489 line, a .847 OPS, or 279 home runs.
It remains to be seen if Donaldson will remain tied to the game of baseball once he steps aside, but he had a great career and set himself and his family up for life with his earnings.
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