Matt Beaty, known for his contribution to four Major League Baseball teams over five seasons, announced his retirement. On Monday, Aug. 24, Beaty shared the news through a post on his Instagram account.
Reflecting on his career, Beaty expressed his readiness to embrace a new chapter in his life. He acknowledged the nearly two-year gap since his last baseball at-bat, during which he faced a mix of doubts and decisions. He pondered whether to continue playing or to close that chapter permanently.
Beaty confessed that stepping away from the sport is challenging. Yet, he realized deep down that his last game might have been indeed the final one, despite hoping otherwise.
At 33, Beaty played 305 games throughout his career for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and Kansas City Royals. His postseason contributions include 15 games with the Dodgers, prominently during their 2020 World Series win against the Tampa Bay Rays, which ended a decades-long drought for the team.
In 2024, Beaty played 53 minor league games with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being released. Since then, he remained a free agent.
During his tenure with the Dodgers from 2019 to 2021, Beaty achieved a .262/.333/.425 batting line, marking him as a valuable left-handed hitter. As a rookie, he set personal records in plate appearances (268), home runs (nine), RBIs (46), doubles (19), slugging percentage (.458), and OPS (.775).
In 2021, Beaty hit career highs in games played (120), on-base percentage (.363), and OPS+ (104), leading to his trade to the Padres. He was exchanged for pitcher River Ryan, who later became part of a trade deal for Tarik Skubal with the Detroit Tigers.
Over his final two seasons in MLB, Beaty struggled to maintain his Dodger-era performance, participating in only 50 games.
In his farewell message, Beaty expressed gratitude for the relationships, experiences, and lessons that baseball provided. He acknowledged successes and failures, all of which shaped his enduring mindset.