Outfielder David Dahl announced his retirement on his X feed earlier this week, opting to end his playing career at age 31. As Dahl wrote in his farewell post, “Baseball has been my life for as long as I can remember. From being a kid in Alabama chasing a lifelong dream to stepping foot on a big-league field…after 13 seasons and several months to reflect on it, it’s officially time for the next chapter. Thank you, baseball.”
Dahl appeared in parts of seven Major League seasons from 2016-24, playing in 350 games and hitting .268/.313/.460 with 46 home runs over 1311 career plate appearances. The majority of Dahl’s pro career was spent in the Rockies organization, beginning when Colorado selected the outfielder with the 10th overall pick of the 2012 draft.
A regular on top-100 prospect rankings during his minor league career, Dahl’s progress hit an unexpected roadblock when he suffered a lacerated spleen after colliding with a teammate during a 2015 Double-A game. Dahl opted to have his spleen removed entirely in order to get back onto the field before season’s end, as waiting for the spleen to heal would’ve likely cost him the entirety of the season. This unusual situation in some ways defined Dahl’s career, highlighting his grit in trying to play through what ended up being a long list of injuries that set back his career.
Dahl had an impressive MLB debut in 2016, hitting .315/.359/.500 over his first 237 PA in the Show. A stress fracture in his rib and then back spasms limited him to just 19 minor league games and no big league action in 2017, but Dahl was able to recover and appear in 177 games for Colorado over the 2018-19 seasons. The outfielder batted .291/.342/.528 with 31 homers in 684 PA over this two-year stretch, helping the Rockies reach the postseason in 2018 and earning an All-Star nod for himself in 2019.
Even during those two seasons, however, Dahl missed a good deal of time recovering from a right foot fracture and then a right high ankle sprain. 2019 ended up being the high point of Dahl’s production, as after Opening Day 2020, he hit only .200/.237/.318 over the final 390 PA of his big league career. Shoulder problems in 2020 led to a surgery after the season, and the Rockies chose to non-tender Dahl. He bounced around to six different teams over the next four seasons, and saw some more MLB time with the Rangers, Padres, and Phillies.
After not playing at all in 2025, Dahl has now decided to hang up the cleats. We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Dahl on a fine career and wish him all the best in his post-playing endeavors.
Good baseball player, injuries took away a once promising career
Chris Simms got hit so hard they had to remove his spleen too. David Dahl seems like a modern BJ Surhoff. Happy trails Mr. Dahl.
BJ and Mike Heath were some of my favorite catchers from yesteryear ⚾
What does your “favorite catchers from yesteryear” have to do with David Dahl retiring?
Bill Plummer and Vic Correl were my favorite catchers
BJ Surhoff was mentioned, seems pretty clear to me.
My 2 favs to watch were Benito Santiago & Mike Scioscia!
I loved watching Benito play the game. Hadn’t thought about him in forever. So awesome you gave him a shout-out.
I remember Benito with the Marlins wearing 09 for his number. Terry Kennedy, Benito Santiago, Sandy Alomar Jr. Padres had some really good Catchers in the 80’s
It was just *sooo* cool as a kid at the Murph to see Benito throw guys out from his knees! No doubt about it, influenced every Little League catcher around San Diego County at the time! Haha
He had Tony Pena doing it in Boston too. That and the setting up behind the dish with one leg extended in an almost half split
“my favorite catchers” in his comment and “clear to me” in your comment proves both of you are making Dahl’s retirement about yourselves. Probably just a boring habit many of us do.
Maybe try, “Enjoy your retirement David Dahl. You were a delight to watch play.”
See my post below, Stanton. Seems like this section turned into “catcher talk” on a postable comment thread on a baseball website. Sorry about that! 🤪🍻
I was always that guy who would throw on a mask and go warm up the bullpen guy or starter between innings while the real catcher was throwing on the Tools of Ignorance… you better believe I emulated Pena and Benito for those 7, 8 pitches Rsox! 😎🍻⚾️
Stanton100, I see the point you’re making, and I think the equivalent advice on other types of columns is appropriate. But one thing I really adore about this site is how remembering some of the lesser-known players when they make their retirement announcement inspires anecdotes and comments about the player retiring but also other players they’re reminded of. Some of the most “I just love baseball” posts happen on these retirement columns. Sort of how at a memorial people are there to celebrate the person who has passed but end up telling all kinds of stories that are tangentially connected to that person. Cheers.
Benito throwing guts out at second from his knees! Had an absolute cannon behind the plate!
C Expat…well said. Thank you for helping me see those angles. I’ve sold my high horse. 😂
Tony Pena and Rich Gedman here
I always liked Mike LaValliere and Mickey Tettleton aka Spanky and Froot Loops.
Didn’t LaValliere also go by Tank back in the day?
It was Todd Pratt that went by Tank. Dayan Viciedo also went by Tank, but not a catcher.
Jody Davis and Joe Girardi gotta be my favorite Cubs catchers of yesteryear.
Steve Swisher gets honorable mention as the Cubs catcher at the time my grandfather sat me down, pointed at the tv screen and said, “This is the team you’re cheering for.”
Also an honorable mention for Michael Barrett for clocking AJ Pierzynski.
Jody Davis is a name I haven’t heard in a long time.
Got me thinking about 80s catchers. Matt Nokes debuted in 85 for the Giants but may be best known for the Tigers and Yankees. Got to watch Craig Biggio in the minors which was cool.
Seen Matt playing on the indie ball circuit here in Fargo ⚾
Can’t forget Randy Hundley ⚾
A respectable career no less
Definitely in the Hall of What Might Have Been. It’s quite sad given his potential. There is a dimension where Dahl is in the midst of a HOF career, and he just signed a 6-year, $180M contract with the Mets.
I’m surprised Stearns didn’t try to lowball him to stay out of retirement
Stearns: “I heard that!”
I met him when he played for the Asheville Tourists. Super nice guy!
He really looked like he was going to be something before the injuries.
P.S. If you want to know about Coors Field park effects, his career OPS is .773 and his OPS+ is underwater at 94..
That says nothing about Coors Field. All it says is the opinion of the person making the formula for OPS+. OPS+ is an opinion based stat because, just like WAR, it requires the opinion of whomever is making the algorithm regarding certain factors. Park factors and positional adjustment are not fact-based parameters.
Didn’t know he was still around
And yet he continued to exist without your knowledge. Amazing how that works.
What’s your point? I just said I didn’t realize he was still around looking for a gig.
Sorry, just being a bit snarky today.
Fair enough, been there myself.
I remember seeing him play for Oak Mountain. He was a man amongst boys.
Translation is: nobody wants to give me a big league deal so I quit.
Thats the reason they all retire.
Got to play in 350 Major League games, even the playoffs, obviously didn’t live up to expectations but it’s more than we can say. I expect coaching at some level is on the horizon. Good for David
He made an All Star Game too. In some ways, that puts him above a lot of players with longer careers.
Happy trails, Baby Dahl! Bummer we never really got to see you spread your wings in the MLB… injuries suck. Best of luck in retirement though!
I stand/sit corrected. Thank you Gwynning.
Why the hell not?
Sanguillen and Simmons for me! 😂😂
🤣🤙🏽🍻 Happy Holidays amigo
So long “Baby Dahl.” I hope the next chapter of your life is as fun as the last.
As a Rockies fan, I must admit that I was disappointed when they drafted Dahl. At the time, I was really hoping that they picked up a guy by the name of Courtney Hawkins (later picked by the White Sox). I was convinced Hawkins would be a superstar. Fast forward and Dahl proved to be a good major league player and even made an All Star Game. Conversely, Courtney Hawkins never even made the majors. I am now willing to admit that I was 100% wrong.
I didn’t bring this up to demean Hawkins, but more so to show how even the “can’t miss guys” miss all the time, so don’t get too attached to players until they actually do something.
Alternatively, the lesson learned is not to trust your scouting abilities.
It wasn’t MY scouting abilities I never saw him play. I made the mistake of trusting what I read on Baseball America and other sources.
His WAR might not have been much, but his SCRPY was off the charts.
I was convinced this guy was gonna be such a stud. He did have some nice flashes of that potential. Nobody can ever take away from him that he hit .300 in a season and made an All Star team – far more than the rest of us can say! True shame he couldn’t stay healthy. Happy trails, Mr. Dahl and congratulations on your retirement!
Could his next career move be to obtain a degree in Meteorology and then go to work as a weather broadcaster at station KSTP in Minneapolis/St Paul. They have been without a David Dahl doing the weather since the end of 2020 when he retired after 43 years on the air. All about The Name.
Early in his time with the Rockies he looked like he was going to be a HOF until his body betrayed him.
Another failed draft pick (10th overall) by Bill
Schmidt.