Mitch Garver has closed the book on a 10-year Major League career, retiring at 35 with a World Series ring, a Silver Slugger Award and a reputation for delivering power from behind the plate.
The New Mexico native announced his decision by text message Thursday. His final Major League stop came with Seattle, where he returned this season, won the backup catcher’s job in camp and appeared in 50 games before being released.
Quick facts
- Garver retires after 10 MLB seasons with a .229/.325/.432 career batting line.
- He hit 110 home runs and finished with 10.1 bWAR.
- His 2019 Silver Slugger season included 31 homers and a .995 OPS in 93 games for Minnesota.
- He helped Texas win its first World Series in 2023, producing three postseason homers and 14 RBIs.
- Garver was drafted by the Twins in the ninth round in 2013 after attending the University of New Mexico.
Garver’s biggest individual season arrived in 2019, when the Twins built one of the most thunderous lineups the game has seen. He launched a career-best 31 homers despite playing only 93 games, helping Minnesota set the single-season MLB record with 307 team home runs.
That mark remains on the books, although Atlanta matched it in 2023. Garver’s production that year earned him the Silver Slugger Award and established him as more than a reserve catcher with occasional pop.
He reached the majors with Minnesota in 2017 and spent five seasons with the Twins. After signing with the Rangers in 2022, Garver became an important part of the club that captured Texas’ first championship a year later.
During the 2023 regular season, he posted an .870 OPS across 87 games. Then came the October work: three homers, 14 RBIs and a steady role in a Rangers lineup that finished the job with the franchise’s first title.
That postseason run led to a two-year, $24 million agreement with the Mariners, at the time the largest free-agent contract issued under Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. Josh Naylor later surpassed that figure with a five-year, $92.5 million deal before the 2026 season.
Garver’s offensive numbers dipped in Seattle, but he remained a valued clubhouse presence. He served as a backup catcher and trusted sounding board for Cal Raleigh, who helped bring Garver back to the club this season.
After Seattle released him, Garver signed a Minor League contract with the Yankees. He did not return to the big leagues, leaving his final ledger at 110 home runs, a championship ring and a career defined by timely thunder when clubs needed it most.
