Former Phillies Reliever Jake Diekman Announces Retirement from MLB
By Matthew Postins | 3 Hours Ago
Veteran left-handed reliever Jake Diekman, who began his career with the Philadelphia Phillies and spent 13 seasons in the majors, officially announced his retirement from baseball on Friday.
Diekman, 38, hails from Wymore, Nebraska, and was drafted by the Phillies in the 30th round of the 2007 MLB Draft out of Cloud County Community College in Kansas. He made his last MLB appearance in 2024 and was most recently with the Lincoln Salt Dogs of the independent American Association after failing to make the Atlanta Braves’ roster this spring.
A Grateful Farewell to the Phillies
In a heartfelt message posted to social media, Diekman thanked every team he played for, giving special recognition to the Phillies, where his major league journey began.
“Thank you to the Phillies for taking a shot on a 30th round guy out of small-town Nebraska that looked like Skeletor,” Diekman wrote. “Making my big league debut with the most veteran team imaginable at that point was surreal. I’ll never forget being a part of the 2015 no-hitter.”
Diekman debuted in 2012 at age 25, appearing in 32 games with a 3.95 ERA, 35 strikeouts, and 20 walks in 27.1 innings. After working through control issues in the minors, he returned to post a strong 2.58 ERA over 45 games in 2013.
In 2014, he became a key piece of the Phillies bullpen, pitching in 73 games with a 5-5 record, a 3.80 ERA, and 100 strikeouts in 71 innings. That season included a career highlight: a combined no-hitter against the Braves on September 1.
Trade and Long Career Journey
Diekman’s ERA rose in 2015, and he was traded at the deadline alongside Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers in exchange for a package of prospects including Nick Williams and Jorge Alfaro.
Over his career, Diekman pitched in 705 games—all out of the bullpen—posting a 27-34 record with a 3.91 ERA, 764 strikeouts, and 358 walks across 602.1 innings.
He played for nine MLB teams:
- Philadelphia Phillies (2012–15)
- Texas Rangers (2015–18)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (2018)
- Kansas City Royals (2019)
- Oakland Athletics (2019–21)
- Boston Red Sox (2022)
- Chicago White Sox (2022–23)
- Tampa Bay Rays (2023)
- New York Mets (2024)
Diekman’s career was marked by a fiery fastball, resilience through control challenges, and longevity across nearly a decade and a half in the big leagues.
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