Josh Harrison chose the coolest date to announce his MLB retirement.
On May 31, 2011, Harrison made his MLB debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates. And on May 31, 2025, Harrison told the world he was hanging up his cleats.
In between was a special run across six different teams.
Harrison never played for the team that drafted him, the Chicago Cubs, who chose him in the sixth round out of the University of Cincinnati.
He played his first eight MLB seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team he is most associated with. He was a career .277 hitter with Pittsburgh.
Harrison’s best season was 2014, when he garnered MVP votes after batting .315 with 38 doubles, seven triples, 13 homers and 18 steals.
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The 5-foot-8 sparkplug made another All-Star team in 2017 as he hit a career-high 16 homers.
The Pirates experienced ups and downs during Harrison’s tenure, but he was a fan favorite throughout.
Harrison wrote an incredible message on social media to announce his retirement. Here’s a part of it:
“THANK YOU, GOD!!! As I reflected on 5/31/2025, THANK YOU GOD is what pops in my head. 14 years ago to this day I made my major league debut, and today I officially announce my retirement from Major League Baseball. Without God, none of this would have been attainable. I am truly blessed!
“First, I would like to thank my mom and dad. Working full time jobs with 3 boys in baseball, basketball and football was not for the faint of heart. I am forever grateful for you two. Thank you for the sacrifices, long drives, encouragement, support and love. None of those things went unnoticed. That’s why whether I had a good game or bad game, my first calls were always to you mom and dad.
“… Thank you to the Pirates, Tigers, Nationals, Athletics, White Sox and Phillies for all letting me represent your cities. I wore each and every one of those jerseys with pride. Each place holds a special piece in my heart for different reasons. I’ll be sure to take a piece of each city with me everywhere I go.
“… Future players, don’t let other peoples’ expectations of you limit you from reaching your full potential. Put in the work and go get what you deserve.”
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