Jose Reyes announces retirement from MLB after 16 seasons

Jose Reyes has announced that he is officially retiring from the MLB after spending 16 seasons in the league, 12 of those with the New York Mets.

"After 16 great MLB seasons, I'm officially announcing my retirement from baseball," Reyes said in a released statement. "As a young boy growing up in the Dominican Republic, I could have never dreamed of achieving all that I have through this incredible game. I want to thank God for all my blessings."

Reyes joined the Mets in 2003 and over the next few seasons, he became a fan favorite. His career peaked from 2005-2011, as he made four All-Star games, led the National League in steals three times and won the NL batting title in 2011. Reyes left New York in 2012, then spent the next few years playing for a variety of teams before he returned to the Mets in 2016. He has not played in the MLB in almost two years.

In his official statement, Reyes made sure to thank Mets' fans for their support throughout his career, as he was among the most beloved Mets players of this century.

"Mets fans, what can I say? We never got the ring we hoped we would get, but I can’t imagine playing in front of any better fans in the whole world," Reyes said. "Your passion and energy always lifted me higher and for that I will always be grateful. I want to thank the fans in Miami and Toronto too, as well as my fans around the world."

Reyes ends his career with a .283 batting average, 2,138 hits, and 517 stolen bases.