Former Guardians Pitcher Announces Retirement from MLB

A former Cleveland Guardians pitcher has decided to hang up his cleats, as relief pitcher Nick Wittgren has retired from the MLB.

Wittgren made the announcement on his Instagram account.

The right-hander spent three seasons with the Guardians between 2019 and 2021 and served as a very reliable member of their bullpen over the first couple of seasons.

During his inaugural campaign in Cleveland, Wittgren pitched to the tune of a 2.81 ERA while allowing 47 hits and registering 60 strikeouts over 57.2 innings of work. He also logged an impressive 1.075 WHIP, establishing himself as one of the most important hurlers in the Guardians' pen.

The following season, the 33-year-old posted a 3.42 ERA in 25 appearances. By 2021, however, Wittgren had fallen of, as he recorded a 5.05 ERA due much in part to his inability to keep the ball in the park, surrendering 13 home runs across 62.1 frames.

Wittgren also spent time with the Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals throughout his eight-year professional tenure, tallying a lifetime 4.04 ERA over 314 outings. He made just one start in his career, which actually came with Cleveland in 2021.

The Guardians are definitely no strangers to having good relief pitchers, as they boasted one of the best bullpens in MLB history last year. They rode their strong relievers all the way to an AL Central division title and an ALCS appearance, where they ultimately fell to the New York Yankees.

We'll see if Cleveland can depend on its bullpen once again in 2025.

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