World Series champion Mitch Garver retires from baseball at 35
World Series champion Mitch Garver has announced his retirement from baseball at age 35.
Garver played for the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners during his 10-season major league career. He confirmed his retirement to MLB.com in a text message.
The Albuquerque native spent the first five seasons of his career with the Twins. The catcher and designated hitter won a Silver Slugger Award in 2019 when he hit 31 home runs, drove in 67 runs and posted an impressive .995 OPS.
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In 2022, Garver was traded to the Rangers and became a key contributor to their 2023 World Series championship team. During the 2023 postseason , Garver played in 14 games, hitting .226 with three home runs and 14 RBI.
Following his postseason success, Garver signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Mariners. At the time, it was the richest contract Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto had ever handed out. First baseman Josh Naylor set a new high mark with his five-year, $92.5 million contract last offseason.
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Garver struggled offensively in Seattle compared with his time in Texas and was relegated to a backup role behind catcher Cal Raleigh. Despite no longer being a starter, Garver remained an important clubhouse presence and helped Raleigh during his record-setting 2025 season.
The Mariners released Garver in August, and he signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees but never appeared in a major league game for the team.
In 701 games, Garver had a career batting average of .229 with 110 home runs and 324 RBI.