Former Dodgers Standout Pitcher Leaving MLB At End of 2025 Season

"Former Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Kenta Maeda recently announced that he will be leaving Major League Baseball at the end of the 2025 season. The 37-year-old recently revealed that he plans to spend the 2026 season in Japan in order to be closer to his family while he rounds out his professional baseball career. Ahead of the 2016 season, the Dodgers signed Maeda to an eight-year, $25 million contract after eight productive seasons of Nippon Professional Baseball."

"Although his postseason showing was abysmal at best through three starts, Maeda's presence the following year would be some of his best work in October in a new role. Maeda's ERA grew to 4.22 in 2017, but he would prove to be a force for the Dodgers' bullpen after the regular season. Across nine appearances in the postseason, Maeda had a 0.84 ERA, allowing just one earned run through 10.2 innings of work."

"Maeda was a key part in the 2018 pennant run as well, sporting a 3.81 ERA in the regular season. But after his ERA rose to 4.04 in 2019, Maeda was traded to the Minnesota Twins ahead of the 2020 campaign. Although the season was shortened, Maeda finished second in Cy Young voting, tossing an MLB-best 2.70 ERA and a league-leading 0.750 WHIP across his 66.2 innings pitched. He punched out 80 batters to just 10 walks during those 11 starts."

Kenta Maeda, 37, will exit Major League Baseball after the 2025 season and plans to play in Japan for the 2026 season to be closer to family. The Dodgers signed Maeda before 2016 to an eight-year, $25 million deal following eight productive Nippon Professional Baseball seasons in which he posted a 2.39 ERA and a 3.87 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His first MLB season produced career highs in bWAR, innings, wins, and strikeouts and a 3.48 ERA. Maeda excelled in the 2017 postseason bullpen with a 0.84 ERA across nine appearances. He helped the 2018 pennant run, saw his ERA rise in 2019, was traded to the Twins for 2020, finished second in Cy Young voting that shortened season with a 2.70 ERA and 0.750 WHIP, then posted ERAs over 4.00 in the following seasons and missed 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Read at Dodgers Nation