After a 12-year MLB career, utility player Ehire Adrianza has announced his retirement. Adrianza, whose clutch pinch-hit double helped set the stage for one of the most iconic home runs in Atlanta Braves history, played for five teams, including three seasons with the Braves. Though he posted a modest 0.8 WAR throughout his career, Adrianza earned two World Series championships and reached the rare milestone of 10 years of service time, a feat achieved by only 10% of MLB players.
Adrianza’s time in Atlanta largely flew under the radar, with the versatile player appearing in only 11 games across the 2022 and 2023 seasons. However, his 2021 campaign stood out as he played every position except first base, catcher, and pitcher, posting a solid .247/.327/.401 line in 209 plate appearances. Adrianza’s ability to step in wherever needed proved crucial for a Braves team that had to rebuild its outfield on the fly.
The defining moment of Adrianza’s career came during the 2021 NLCS, though it’s often overshadowed by the bigger plays that followed. In the 4th inning of Game 6, with the score tied 1-1, Braves manager Brian Snitker made a gutsy move by calling on Adrianza to pinch-hit after a Travis d’Arnaud walk. Adrianza, on a 1-0 count, laced a 92.3 mph cutter down the line for a double, narrowly keeping it fair. Though d’Arnaud was held at third, Adrianza’s hit helped set the stage for Eddie Rosario’s three-run homer, giving the Braves a 4-1 lead.
Those would be the final runs scored in the series, and they proved to be enough. Tyler Matzek and Will Smith came through in relief, preserving the lead and sending Atlanta to its first World Series in 22 years. Adrianza’s double may not have been the headline moment, but it was a crucial play in Atlanta’s World Series victory.
Adrianza earned his second World Series ring when the Braves defeated the Houston Astros. His first ring came in 2014 with the San Francisco Giants, though he missed the clinching game due to the birth of his child.
As Adrianza moves on from playing, his impact on the game will continue. He’s expressed interest in pursuing a role in a front office, and his remarkable career—marked by two championships and a decade of service time—is an achievement few players can dream of.
