All-Star pitcher Alex Wood retires after 12 MLB seasons and World Series title

Left-handed pitcher Alex Wood posted a long message on social media Friday announcing his retirement after 12 major league seasons that included a World Series title with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.

Wood began his post on Instagram by saying he had “immense gratitude” following a career in which the 34-year-old was an All-Star selection in 2017 and reached the postseason seven times.

“I never could’ve imagined it would turn out this way,” Wood wrote.

"Baseball was my first love. Outside of God and my family, nothing else has shaped me the way this game has,” he added. “Even writing this, I can’t help but smile thinking about how much I still love the game after all this time.”

Wood’s retirement comes after he went 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA in nine starts for the Oakland Athletics last season. Overall, the 6-foot-4 pitcher from Charlotte, North Carolina, went 77-68 with a 3.78 ERA over 278 games split between five teams, including two stints with the Dodgers.

He played collegiately at Georgia, was selected in the second round of the 2012 draft by the Braves and made his major league debut with Atlanta a year later. Wood’s best season came in 2017 when he went 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 27 games for the Dodgers.

After spending 2019 in Cincinnati, he returned to Los Angeles and pitched four scoreless innings during the Dodgers’ six-game World Series win over Tampa Bay. He also spent three seasons with the San Francisco Giants.

“Playing for five iconic franchises and becoming part of those communities is something my family and I will always cherish,” Wood wrote.

He then closed his message by writing: “Cheers to what’s next. See you at the park! Love, Woody.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Alex Wood walks back into the dugout after the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, June 16, 2017, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

FILE - Cincinnati Reds pitchers Lucas Sims (39), Alex Wood (40) and Sonny Gray (54) pause between stretching exercises during workouts at the Reds spring training baseball facility, Feb. 13, 2019, in Goodyear, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

FILE - Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Drew Smyly throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers May 14, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

FILE - San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Wood works against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, May 10, 2022. (AP Photo/John Hefti, File)

KOHALA, Hawai‘i--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--

Kuleana Rum Works, the Hawai‘i-based distillery known for its additive-free, award-winning rums, today announced the release of “An Open Letter on Additive-Free Rum,” written by Founder & CEO Steve Jefferson, addressing why rum is now facing the same scrutiny and market shift that reshaped tequila a decade ago.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107792953/en/

Consumers across spirits are demanding more honesty about how products are made. Additive-free labeling has already transformed tequila and is reshaping whiskey and RTDs. Drinkers now expect producers to protect natural flavor instead of masking it, and bartenders increasingly use transparency as a measure of quality. The letter positions rum as the next category entering this accountability cycle, as more consumers begin to question undisclosed sweeteners, flavorings and added color.

Tequila provides the clearest precedent. Producers who embraced additive-free methods helped premiumize the category, while brands relying on undisclosed additives now face growing skepticism. According to the letter, rum is approaching the same turning point. Jefferson explains that Kuleana Rum Works was founded on additive-free principles: growing heirloom Hawaiian kō (sugarcane), fermenting and distilling fresh juice at lower proof to preserve natural character, adding nothing after distillation and holding all blending partners to the same standards. Every rum — whether distilled in Hawai‘i or sourced — is verified additive-free through independent lab testing and supplier documentation.

“Consumer expectations are changing fast across spirits,” said Steve Jefferson, Founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works. “People want honesty in what they drink, and they’re rewarding producers who protect natural flavor rather than covering it up. Additive-free isn’t a trend — it’s becoming the standard, and rum is now facing that shift head-on.”

Additional detail in the letter underscores how production choices such as fresh juice fermentation, low-proof distillation and a strict no-additives policy create transparency and flavor integrity that align with what the market is valuing.

About Kuleana Rum Works

Founded on the island of Hawai‘i in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works crafts award-winning, additive-free rums — led by its signature Hawaiian Rum Agricole® — from fresh kō (heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane) grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Now available in 17 states and Japan, Kuleana Rum Works champions excellence, transparency and community stewardship. Visit kuleanarum.com to learn more.

https://kuleanarum.com/additive-free/