After 14 seasons, Matt Carpenter is officially calling it a career — and what a winding, compelling journey it was. On the Get In The Game podcast, the 39-year-old infielder made his retirement public, capping off a big league run that included an All-Star peak, a mid-career reinvention, and a late-career comeback that nearly defied baseball physics.
Carpenter’s story was anything but ordinary, from St. Louis stalwart to the Bronx bomber to the San Diego misfire.
Drafted Low, Rose High
Carpenter’s rise began modestly: a 13th-round pick by the Cardinals in 2009 who wouldn’t fully arrive in the majors until age 26. But once he did, he hit the ground running. His 2012 rookie campaign saw him slash .294/.365/.463 while playing nearly every position on the diamond.
That kind of versatility and a steady bat made him invaluable. The power wasn’t quite there yet — just six home runs in 340 plate appearances — but the potential? Obvious.
Then came 2013. Carpenter broke out in full force, earning his first All-Star nod, finishing fourth in NL MVP voting, and compiling a career-best 7.2 WAR season according to FanGraphs.
He led the league in hits, runs, and doubles, hitting .318 with a .392 OBP. It was a clinic in plate discipline and situational hitting — Carpenter didn’t just get on base, he practically moved in and set up shop.
The Consistent Contender
For the better part of the decade, Carpenter anchored the Cardinals’ lineup with a blend of patience and pop. From 2015 to 2018, he cranked 108 home runs and posted a combined .260/.376/.497 slash line.
His walk rate hovered in double digits, and his OPS+ rarely dipped below 130. His bat remained a consistent threat while he shifted around the field, from third base to first base to the occasional outfield stint.
Even as his production began to dip, St. Louis doubled down with a pair of extensions that paid him through 2021. But those final years in red weren’t as kind. His 2020–2021 seasons were particularly rough, culminating in a .169 average in 2021. The Cardinals declined his option for 2022, signaling what many believed was the end.
One Last Spark — Then the Farewell
Except, it wasn’t. In what now feels like the plot of a baseball movie, Carpenter revamped his swing with input from Joey Votto and signed a minor league deal with Texas. After slugging six homers in just 21 Triple-A games, he was let go and then scooped up by the Yankees, where he turned back the clock in spectacular fashion.
For a few months in 2022, Carpenter was untouchable. He slugged .727 and hit 15 home runs in just 47 games before a foul ball fractured his foot. He returned in the postseason but wasn’t the same. Still, his 216 wRC+ from that half-season was jaw-dropping. It earned him a deal with the Padres, and the curtain finally began to fall.
San Diego didn’t get the same magic. Carpenter struggled through 2023 and was shipped to Atlanta in a salary dump. He was immediately released, but found his way back to the Cardinals for a short, part-time role in 2024, where he put up a modest 95 wRC+ in limited action — enough to leave the game with dignity.
A Career Worth Celebrating
When the final stat line was written, it told a compelling tale:
- 1,511 games played
- 1,257 hits
- 179 home runs
- 813 runs scored
- 659 RBIs
- .259/.366/.449 slash line
- 125 wRC+
- 31.5 fWAR / 28.7 bWAR
- 3 All-Star selections
- Over $100 million in career earnings
Carpenter was never the flashiest name in baseball, but few were steadier in their prime. He combined elite plate discipline with deceptive power, worked tirelessly to reinvent himself when his swing left him, and ultimately walked away having left his mark in multiple clubhouses across the league.
From 13th-round pick to All-Star. From struggling vet to Bronx folk hero. Matt Carpenter’s career was a masterclass in resilience, adaptability, and professionalism — and a reminder that, in Major League Baseball, the story is never over until the final swing.
