Kevin Pillar Retires After 13 Seasons in Major League Baseball

Dallas, Texas – Kevin Pillar announced his retirement from professional baseball on July 2, 2025, during an appearance on Foul Territory TV. The former outfielder played parts of 13 big-league seasons with 10 teams, most notably the Toronto Blue Jays, and concluded his career with a .255 batting average, 114 home runs, and 111 stolen bases.

Pillar, 36, had a brief stint earlier this season with the Texas Rangers, where he appeared in 20 games and posted a .465 OPS before being released on May 31. He described his time in the sport as a mix of highs and lows, stating, “I realized that as great as it is to be successful in the game… the things that — striking out or not being successful — always outweighed the success I had in the game.”

Known for his exceptional defensive skills in center field, Pillar earned the nickname “Superman” for his acrobatic catches with the Blue Jays from 2013 to 2019. During his tenure in Toronto, he amassed a .692 OPS, 55 homers, and 69 stolen bases. He played a critical role in the Blue Jays’ playoff runs in 2015 and 2016.

After being traded to the San Francisco Giants in 2019, Pillar moved around the league, including stints with teams like the Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta Braves. He enjoyed a resurgence with the Los Angeles Angels during the 2024 season, where he played 83 games and recorded seven home runs and 10 stolen bases.

Pillar reflects on his newfound happiness in retiring, saying, “I don’t have to deal with the failure anymore, so I’m pretty happy. I wake up every morning just excited to be dad.”