Former Detroit Tigers pitcher calls it a career after 17 years in the bigs

Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Edwin Jackson officially retires.

The Detroit Tigers may not have seen Edwin Jackson pitch in a game since 2019 when he made his last start in the big leagues. After three seasons without making a start, trying to latch on with another team and keep going, he has opted to officially hang it up.

After 17 years in the big leagues, including two separate stints with the Detroit Tigers organization, Edwin Jackson has officially retired. He spent time with 14 different organizations during that timeframe.

He was a one-time all-star, which happened in 2009 when he was in the Tigers’ starting rotation. Beyond that, he was a part of the St. Louis Cardinals World Series run in the postseason to add that to his resume as well.

It was a lengthy career from the right-hander, spanning 22 years in total in the professional side of the game. A recent MLive article argues that Jackson’s best and his worst seasons played out while he was in the Motor City. Evan Woodberry was onto something by suggesting that.

As previously mentioned, the 2009 season was the only time that Jackson was deemed to be an all-star. He went on to finish the season with 33 starts, accumulating 214 innings pitched.

Jackson pitched to a 3.62 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, punched out 161 opposing hitters, and maintained a 13-9 record. It was a solid performance from the right-hander who was acquired in a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays sending outfielder Matt Joyce the other way.

Following that 2009 season, Jackson would not suit up in Detroit again until the 2019 season. He was dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-team trade that involved Curtis Granderson, Austin Jackson, and Max Scherzer.

It was not until 2019, ten seasons later, when the Tigers would re-sign the right-hander after he was released by the Toronto Blue Jays. He added starting pitcher depth and helped bolster the rotation.

However, the performance itself was not the most notable. He made eight starts with two relief appearances, accumulating 39.1 innings pitched. He produced an 8.47 ERA and a 1.91 WHIP.  After that, it was a lot of minor league deals and attempts to try and end up back in the big leagues.

But after 17 seasons in the big leagues, Jackson has opted to hang things up. He made 318 starts throughout his career and totaled 1,960 innings pitched overall. He pitched to a career 4.78 ERA, and a 1.47 WHIP.

While he may not have a storied past with the Tigers, he was a part of the organization for two stints. Hopefully, retirement treats the now 39-year-old well.