Outfielder Jason Heyward, one of the most accomplished defensive players of his era, announced his retirement on Friday after 16 MLB seasons. The 36-year-old played for the San Diego Padres in the 2025 MLB season but is best remembered for his 12 seasons with the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs, winning a World Series in 2016 with the latter.
While 2026 Opening Day was officially on Wednesday, just two teams played that day while 22 more took the field for the first time Thursday. That means the remaining six called Friday their Opening Day, and Heyward went unsigned ahead of all 30 teams taking the field. He made his announcement Friday on MLB Network.
