Angels hometown pitcher and former Cubs' ERA champion up cleats for good

The Los Angeles Angels had an incredibly up-and-down 2025 season. They had amazing stretches of play (highlighted by their two sweeps against the Los Angeles Dodgers), but overall fell incredibly short of their expectations. And while their record left many fans and players disappointed, one of the best storylines of the season was watching a hometown kid come home and pitch at The Big A for the Halos.

Kyle Hendricks came to the Angels with an incredible career already under his belt. He was a key part of the Chicago Cubs run to their historic 2016 World Series championship over Cleveland. He won the ERA title in 2016 as well, posting a 2.13 ERA for the Cubs and winning 16 starts. Over the course of his entire Cubs' career, Hendricks won 97 games, struck out 1373 batters, and held an ERA of 3.79. Yet he still had one final goal for his career.

Hendricks was born in Newport Beach, growing up in Orange County and eventually attending Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo. He was able to come home for the 2025 season, inking a $2.5 million deal with the Angels. He was a durable starter throughout the season, and despite an ERA north of four was one of the more reliable arms in the rotation as he was consistently able to pitch into the sixth or seventh inning while keeping the offense in the game (he only had four starts allowing more than four runs). But he got to do it all for his hometown team, in front of his family and friends.

Angels, Cubs' veteran Kyle Hendricks officially retires

There were some rumors around the end of the season that Hendricks was retiring, which the veteran pitcher took issue with as he had not been asked for comment by the reporter. Now, it appears to be a finalized decision as Cubs' reporter Maddie Lee announced Monday.

Hendricks' career was one of durability, control, and reliability. The Cubs trusted him as their ace for a decade, and he delivered on some of the biggest stages in baseball. The Angels found a starter who was able to make every scheduled start for the team, 31 in total. While the Hall of Fame may not be in Hendricks' future, he'll be remembered in Chicago, Anaheim, and across the big leagues as the pitcher who brought the Commisioner's Trophy back to Chicago after 108 years.