Longtime San Francisco Giants star Brandon Crawford announces retirement

Three-time All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford announced his retirement on Wednesday via his Instagram account.

Crawford played 13 of his 14 major league seasons with the San Francisco Giants and won World Series rings in 2012 and 2014. He won four Gold Glove Awards during his career.

Crawford's best season was 2021 when he finished fourth in National League MVP voting after batting .298 with 24 homers and 90 RBIs in 138 games.

Crawford, 37, spent 2024 with the St. Louis Cardinals but will long be remembered as one of the top shortstops in Giants' history. He played a franchise record 1,617 games at the position, breaking the mark of Hall of Famer Travis Jackson (1,326 from 1922-36).

"Growing up in the Bay Area and going to games at Candlestick, I always dreamed of playing for the San Francisco Giants," Crawford wrote. "Being drafted by my hometown team and spending most of my career with them far surpassed any dream I had as a kid. I definitely pretended to win a World Series in my backyard — but winning two? That was beyond my wildest dreams.

"I always dreamed of being the shortstop for the Giants, but never could I have imagined breaking the team record for the most games played at the position."

Crawford first reached the majors in 2011 and was a key player on the title teams of 2012 and 2014. He was an NL All-Star for the first time in 2015. He also made the team in 2018 and 2021.

"Watching Brandon play was an absolute privilege for not only me but for Giants' fans everywhere," Giants CEO Larry Baer said in a news release. "He was an All-Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, a two-time World Series champion that always carried himself with class, honor and respect."

Last season, Crawford played in just 28 games for St. Louis and batted .169 with one homer and four RBIs in 28 games before the team released him in August.

"It's been an unforgettable journey," Crawford said. "Thank you Giants for allowing me to live out my dream and be a part of so much throughout my career in San Francisco."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brandon Crawford retirement: Longtime Giants star retires from MLB