Inside Aaron Barrett's retirement from baseball after beating all odds: 'It was time'

Aaron Barrett’s amazing comeback from a gruesome arm injury was so improbable and unusual he is the subject of the upcoming documentary, “Break Through.”

But after more than a decade as a pitcher in professional baseball, Barret has moved on to the next chapter of his career.

It's been a roller-coaster ride of emotions, from starring as a reliever for the Washington Nationals, battling his way back from two major arm surgeries, becoming a member of their 2019 World Series championship team, and ultimately joining the Lehigh Valley coaching staff.

"I’ll be bullpen coach the rest of the year and learning the inner works of the coaching world," Barrett told the Courier & Press on Thursday morning. "Working on analytics, player development and other areas. The plan is to stay in the game of baseball. I have so many things to offer and I’m just really excited to be able to share my experiences and help continue to grow this great game."

Barrett, 34, had been pitching for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A affiliate. His advice for young pitchers is to take care of their arm.

"You only have one, so take care of it. Learn how to be a pitcher," he said. "Today, you see a lot of throwers. Being able to pitch is an art. Actually understanding what your pitches do, how to sequence them, it’s a skill that I think young pitchers can really get better at and can help them in the long run."

AARON BARRETT: Film crew documents saga, from arm surgeries to World Series champion

Barrett hung ‘em up after a 1-2-3 first inning, including a strikeout, for Lehigh Valley against the Rochester Red Wings on Monday night. His tipped his cap to the Red Wings got a standing ovation from both dugouts, and his playing career was over.

"I went into this year thinking it could be my last run, I gave it everything I had," Barrett said. "The ball just wasn’t rolling for me. I battled through it. I had an outing on June 24th where I told my wife Kendyl that I felt it in my gut that it was time.

"So I spoke to our farm director (former Central High School teammate) Preston Mattingly about the next steps and I decided July 4th is a great date. We’re playing Rochester, (an affiliate of) my old team the Washington Nationals. And get to watch fireworks at the end of the night with my family. Just seemed like a storybook ending and I’m grateful the Phillies allowed me to go out on my terms."

He has not lost his competitive fire. The day before his last game, Barrett was ejected for the first time in his career, which included 11 years in the Nationals’ organization.

"Our catcher was taken out in a dirty slide at home plate," Barrett said. "Benches cleared and as a team, we backed up our player and let the other team know how we felt about it. I was pretty hot about the whole thing.

"The umpire told me I was an 'aggressor' and that’s why I was thrown out. I didn’t agree with him, so I let him know after and I had to be removed from the game."

Like Barrett, Mater Dei graduate Jerad Eickhoff has experienced his share of arm miseries.

“I couldn’t be happier for Aaron and his retirement," said Eickhoff, who pitches for the Indianapolis Indians, the Pittsburgh Pirates' Triple-A affiliate. "He’s had a great career. To play as long as he has, and go through the things he’s been through, is an incredible accomplishment. He’s someone any ballplayer, including myself, should aspire to be."

Eickhoff pitched briefly for the Pirates earlier this year after spending time with the Phillies from 2015-19 and the New York Mets in '21.

"He’s been strong in his faith, persevered unimaginable circumstances and lifted others up around him along his journey," Eickhoff said. "I look forward to seeing what’s next for Aaron and wish him the best.”

Aaron Barrett's MLB journey began in 2014

Selected in the ninth round of the 2010 draft out of the University of Mississippi, Barrett made his MLB debut for the Nationals on Opening Day 2014 against the Mets, earning the win in relief. He posted a 2.66 ERA in 50 appearances, striking out 49 batters in 40 2/3 innings.

But it didn't take long for the injuries to derail his promising career. Barrett underwent Tommy John surgery on his elbow in September 2015. While rehabbing in a simulated game in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 23, 2016, Barrett fractured the humerus bone — the bone located between the elbow joint and the shoulder — in his right arm. Witnesses told the Washington Post that it sounded like a gunshot went off. His arm essentially had snapped in half.

The miracle on the mound: Aaron Barrett's unlikely return to Major League Baseball

Barrett had two plates and 16 screws embedded to repair his arm in surgery performed by the famed Dr. James Andrews, who compared it to a traumatic car accident. Hardly anyone has recovered from such a debilitating injury.

But not many have Barrett's inner strength. Climbing back up the ladder after an agonizing three-year rehab, he returned to the mound in 2018 and pitched well enough at Double-A Harrisburg to be called up by the Nationals. His emotional response to the news went viral as Harrisburg manager Matt LeCroy also teared up.

“I was bawling,” Barrett said. “My wife was crying.”

Andrews described Barrett's recovery and subsequent return to pro ball as a "miracle."

Barrett, who returned to action on Sept. 7, 2019, pitching a scoreless inning against the host Atlanta Braves, again was overcome with emotion. It had been 1,495 days between major league appearances.

"Well, I can honestly say my faith in God helped me persevere through so much adversity," Barrett said. "Looking back, I have such a better perspective about everything. Each chapter of trials that I went through would set me up for something greater down the road. It’s tough to go through when it’s happening, but if you keep the faith and understand there’s a reason, you’re going to be way better off in the end. That’s the mindset I had. No matter how hard it was, I knew he wouldn’t give me anything more than I can handle and that if anyone could get through it, it was me."

Left off the Nationals’ playoff roster, Barrett was asked to throw out the ceremonial first pitch in the National League Wild Card game. Because he was a member of Washington’s 40-man roster, he was officially considered a member of the World Series championship team.

"Making it back to the big leagues in 2019 and finishing that year winning a World Series was my favorite memory of my career," Barrett said. "Being able to share that joy with my family and teammates was more than I could ever ask for. It was a dream come true."

Barrett, whose last MLB appearance for the Nats was Sept. 18, 2020, opted to sign a free-agent contract with the Phillies’ organization in March. He had a 1-1 record with a 12.83 ERA for Lehigh Valley in 15 games.

In his four-year MLB career, Barrett was 6-3 with a 4.01 ERA in 95 appearances. He struck out 86 in 74 innings. A biceps strain put him on the disabled list on Aug. 6, 2016, beginning a long string of injuries in which Barrett never fully recovered. The trajectory of his career was no longer ascendant.

Barrett said there have been a host of coaches and managers who helped him get to his current position.

"It would be hard to name them all. I’ve had some great coaches as a kid in Evansville that helped me become who I am," he said. "My first coach would be my dad. He taught me the love for the game I’m very grateful for that. Next would be Steve Bailey, Jeremy Jones, Joe Newman, Brent Chitty, Ben Garland, Craig Shoobridge, Jason Engelbrecht, Rob Fournier, Andrew Bartmann, Mike Bianco, Carl Lafferty, Paul Menhardt, Matt LeCroy, Matt Williams and Davey Martinez.

"There’s many on the list, and lots more I could name. All of those men had some part of my story and I’m thankful for all of them."

Barrett said he's ready for the next chapter.

"The reason why I know is after my last game I took a moment to reflect by myself and tears of joy and happiness ran down my cheek," he said. "It’s been a great run, I gave the game everything I had as a player, and now I can’t wait to give back everything I know to the next generations of players."

Contact Gordon Engelhardt by email at gordon.engelhardt@courierpress.com and follow him on Twitter @EngGordon.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Aaron Barrett on retiring from professional baseball: 'It was time'