Brandon Crawford, a three-time All-Star shortstop, announced his retirement on Wednesday through his Instagram account.

Crawford dedicated 13 of his 14 major league seasons to the San Francisco Giants, securing World Series championships in 2012 and 2014. Throughout his career, he earned four Gold Glove Awards.

His standout season was in 2021 when he finished fourth in National League MVP voting, hitting .298 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs over 138 games.

At 37 years old, Crawford played the 2024 season with the St. Louis Cardinals but will always be remembered as one of the greatest shortstops in Giants history. He holds the franchise record for games played at shortstop, tallying 1,617 games and surpassing Hall of Famer Travis Jackson’s previous record of 1,326 games (set from 1922-1936).

“Growing up in the Bay Area and attending games at Candlestick, I always aspired to play for the San Francisco Giants,” Crawford expressed. “Getting drafted by my local team and spending the majority of my career with them exceeded any childhood fantasy I had. I definitely pretended to win a World Series in my backyard — but to actually win two? That was more than I ever dreamed of.

“I always envisioned being the Giants’ shortstop, but I never imagined I would break the franchise record for the most games played in that position.”

Crawford made his major league debut in 2011 and played a crucial role on the championship teams in 2012 and 2014. He became an NL All-Star for the first time in 2015, earning selections again in 2018 and 2021.

“Watching Brandon play was a true honor, not just for me but for Giants’ fans across the board,” said Giants CEO Larry Baer in a statement. “He was an All-Star, a Gold Glove winner, a Silver Slugger, and a two-time World Series champion who always conducted himself with dignity, respect, and class.”

In his final season, Crawford participated in only 28 games with the St. Louis Cardinals, posting a batting average of .169 with one home run and four RBIs before being released in August.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” Crawford reflected. “Thank you to the Giants for making my dreams come true and for everything I experienced throughout my career in San Francisco.”