The kid who used to even sleep with his baseball bat now has two toddlers, Birch and Bodie, and the 3-year-old Birch has even started visiting ballparks. From signing up for T-ball to coaching with the Kansas City Royals with their rookie ball – the utility man’s entire identity was baseball for the last 20 years. But now, in a long heartfelt message, along with a video of all his memories with baseball and beyond, the 33-year-old has announced to step back.

Remember the player the Los Angeles Dodgers traded to acquire River Ryan from the San Diego Padres in 2022? Matt Beaty. While the Padres may still regret giving up Ryan, Beaty made an impressive start with the Dodgers. Despite being part of the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series-winning squad, Beaty couldn’t sustain that momentum.

He played his last MLB game in 2023, and although he was far from the bright lights of the majors afterward, Beaty continued playing in the minor leagues. That final chapter, too, has now ended, as the former Dodgers slugger announced his retirement.

“I believe it’s time to finally officially announce that I’m entering the next chapter of my life,” Beaty wrote via Instagram.

“It’s been almost two years since my last at-bat in baseball. The time since then has been filled with questions and back-and-forth. Should I keep playing? Is there another opportunity out there? Or is it finally time to close this chapter?… Deep down, I think I knew my last game was my last game. I just held onto the hope that it wouldn’t be.”

The Dodgers picked Beaty in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB draft. He made his debut in 2019, and his rookie season was as dominant as it gets.

He slashed .265/.317/.458 with nine homers and 46 RBIs across 268 appearances. Beaty was a left-handed slugger and could play multiple defensive positions, even without being an elite defender. That was enough for him to emerge as a versatile player for LA.

One of his best offensive performances came in 2019.

He hit a two-run walk-off home run against the Rockies. However, his momentum went downhill during the COVID-affected 2020 season.

He played 13 games as the first baseman, two in left field, and five as a designated hitter. Despite that, he could slash only .220. In all three of his postseason plate appearances, Beaty reached base safely every time. That was the year he won a World Series ring after Los Angeles defeated the Tampa Bay Rays and became champions after 32 years. Even though he tried to bounce back the next year, things didn’t go in his favor.

In 2021, he played 120 games for the Dodgers at .270/.363/.402 with four doubles, one triple, seven home runs, and 40 RBI. But he had only one hit from 11 at-bats in the playoffs. The next steps almost got sealed.

The franchise even demoted him to Triple-A Oklahoma City at one point and was regularly passed over for a spot in the lineup despite the likes of DJ Peters, Luke Raley, and Billy McKinney struggling at the plate. Then, before the 2022 season, the Dodgers traded him to the Padres in exchange for Ryan because the team had a loaded lineup and limited regular playing time for Beaty.

That particular trade became a big deal for the Dodgers, as Ryan turned into a major pitching prospect and became a part of LA’s Tarik Skubal trade this season. But Beaty was not that beneficial with the San Diego Padres.

He was hitting just .093 with 4 hits in 43 at-bats across 20 games during the 2022 season. By May 2022, he injured his shoulder and was out of the lineup, landing on the 60-day IL. That was the moment his career got derailed.

Between 2022 and 2024, Beaty played for the Padres, Giants, and Royals. He had his last MLB appearance with the Royals. From San Diego to Kansas, Beaty racked up a .247 career batting average, 18 home runs, and 96 RBIs in 290 regular-season games. Then came his one-year minor league stint.

The D-Backs signed him to the Amarillo Sod Poodles of the Texas League, which lasted for 53 games before he was released in September 2024. That was his last play in baseball.

Even though he has formally announced his retirement, Belmont Bruins released an article on August 25 that he is still assisting the Royals’ rookie ball team in Surprise, Arizona. But while pinning his own comments in his retirement post, Beaty had written:

“I’ve had the opportunity to coach with the Kansas City Royals,” while ending the note with “Thank you, Baseball. On to the next chapter. 45 out.”

But the next chapter is not specified yet. But we can for sure speculate!

Matt Beaty’s Instagram profile says that he loves golf, and so does his retirement announcement. He has also mentioned that he loves BBQ. He can maybe venture into cooking, golfing, being a baseball coach, or just enjoy being a father and a husband.

Matt Beaty and his wife have helped those in need

Matt Beaty arrived in the small town of Dresden, Tenn., as a teenager and was drawn to the calming charm. His crush, and later wife, Jesica, too, was from that town and used to visit the Q Mart to grab chicken tenders or throw some during Matt’s BP.

Eventually, they left for college in Nashville, and Matt won the World Series, celebrating with his newly married wife. But the next year, Tennessee was ripped through.

Deadly tornadoes affected their hometown, along with Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, and Illinois in early December 2021. So, they raised resources through the Matt Beaty Fund.

The platform was started during Matt’s 2019 rookie season, raising money for local schools and ensuring kids had enough sports equipment. They used that same resource to help rebuild their beloved city with a population of around 3,000 back then.

And just a month before the tornado, the Beatys were in the town for a baseball clinic. Those efforts continued even in 2023.

They organized the Matt Beaty Fund Weekend and raised around $7,500 for the youth in Weakley County. At that time, Jesica was due for her firstborn, Birch.

Matt Beaty’s MLB numbers may not be MVP-caliber, but his social work has been helping thousands. Not just that, even if we come back to the player he was, Beaty’s college career at Belmont University, too, was a different story.

To this day, Beaty ranks among Belmont Baseball’s top 10 in career hits, doubles, triples, home runs, at-bats, RBIs, on-base percentage, and walks.

“I think about Belmont University and the trust they had in me as a freshman. Growing as a player, winning the Atlantic Sun Tournament, and playing in an LSU Regional,” Beaty recalled the same in his retirement announcement.

As another baseball player leaves the diamond, we wish him luck in the next chapter of his life and hope to see him back in the game in a different role.