Former SF Giants multi-positional catching prospect announces retirement

Former SF Giants multi-positional catching prospect Brett Auerbach has announced his retirement from pro baseball. He shared the news in a heartfelt message on his Instagram page.

Former SF Giants multi-positional catching prospect announces retirement

Auerbach thanked his family, friends, and coaches for supporting him during this chapter in his life. He also reflected on the challenges he had to overcome to make it as far as he did. Most notably, going from not being recruited by any Division 1 school out of high school to playing in the SEC and at every level in the minors.

The utility player was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 40th round of the 2018 draft out of Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California. He did not sign, but re-entered the draft a couple of years later.

During the pandemic-shortened draft of 2020, Auerbach's name was not called in any of the five rounds. He was a popular name among the pool of undrafted free agents and eventually joined the Giants.

Auerbach had a promising first season as a pro, slashing .288/.379/.528 with 17 home runs, 63 runs, and 56 RBI in 368 plate appearances split across three levels. He also had surprising speed for a catcher, stealing 30 bases in 37 chances.

The Giants hoped that the right-handed bat could become a super-utility player with power and speed. Those players are hard to find, but can bring a lot of value and versatility to the roster.

In 2022, Auerbach received an invite to spring training and impressed the coaching staff with his performance. He tallied four hits, including two triples and a home run, in 18 Cactus League at-bats. He was recognized as the Barney Nugent Award recipient that spring, which is given annually to a player whose dedication and performance stands out in his first big league camp.

Over the past few seasons, Auerbach was unable to maintain that early-career momentum in the upper minors. He played primarily with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, but had stints up and down the system as well. In 2025, he posted a .722 OPS in 148 plate appearances with the Sacramento River Cats before being released midway through the season. The 27-year-old hitter latched on in the Mexican League to finish out the season.

Auerbach played with a lot of energy and heart, and that made him a popular prospect among Giants fans. We at Around the Foghorn would like to congratulate him on his retirement and wish him the best in his future endeavors.