Outfielder Jon Jay retires after 12 years in MLB

After 12 seasons in MLB, outfielder Jon Jay announced his retirement via a post on his Instagram account. 

"As a kid I remember watching SportsCenter highlights and imitating my favorite MLB players. It is still surreal to me that I played Major League Baseball," Jay said. "To everyone out there: dream big, hard work pays off, and take it one day at a time. Baseball, you will forever be in my heart." 

Jay last played in the majors in 2021 in five games with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In 14 plate appearances, Jay batted .357 with five hits, an RBI and two runs scored. 

The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Jay in the second round of the 2006 MLB Amateur Draft out of the University of Miami. Jay would spend his first six seasons with the Cardinals from 2010 to 2015 and was a member of the Cardinals' 2011 World Series Championship team. In 757 games with St. Louis, Jay batted .287 with 676 hits, 29 home runs and 227 RBIs. 

After the 2015 season, the Cardinals traded Jay to the San Diego Padres for Jedd Gyorko and cash. After a season with the Padres, Jay bounced around for the next few seasons, playing for the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and Angels. 

In 1,068 career games, Jay finished with 1,087 hits, 37 home runs, 341 RBIs and a batting average of .283. 

Jay still holds the highest fielding percentage by an outfielder in MLB history, at .996.