Former Brewers fan favorite set to retire after shockingly long professional career

We're going to have to dial back the calendar a bit here for this one, but the name is sure to bring up some nostalgia from Brewers followers over the past decade or so. News recently came out of Japan that Nori Aoki, an outfielder who spent the first two years of his pro career on the Brewers back in 2012 and 2013, is going to be retiring at season's end.

The first thought most Brewers fans reading this will have is, "He's still playing?!", because that's surely what first came to my mind. The slap-hitting 42-year-old is wrapping up his 21st season in pro ball, suiting up for the Yakult Swallows.

Former Brewers leadoff hitter Nori Aoki set to retire

Initially joining the Crew as an international free agent prior to the 2012 campaign, Aoki wasted no time endearing himself to Brewers fans. He hit .288 with a 109 OPS+ across 151 games in his rookie season, earning a fifth-place finish in the NL Rookie of the Year race in the process. His role greatly expanded as the 2012 season wore on due to a slew of injuries to his fellow outfielders. He got the nod as the Opening Day right fielder in 2013, so he was no longer a frequently used fourth outfielder forced into a larger role.

Aoki's style of play was refreshing to watch while he was in Milwaukee. He got on base a lot, stole bases, rarely struck out and was a solid leadoff hitter for two full seasons on the club. He was a special player in Brewers history, too, as he was the first-ever Japanese IFA the organization ever signed.

Aoki was moved to the Royals prior to the 2014 season in exchange for closer Will Smith. This was a deal that ultimately wound up working out for both sides, as the Brewers leaned on Smith a ton over the next few years and the Royals got a solid showing out of Aoki in 2014. He eventually logged time on the Giants, Mariners, Astros, Blue Jays and Mets before returning to Japan after the 2017 season.

Since moving back home, Aoki's game has changed quite a bit. He's not stealing bases or hitting the ball in the gap anymore. Instead, he displayed some newfound pop, hitting 16 home runs in 2019 and then 18 more in 2020, which is a throwback to his pre-MLB days when he would regularly hit between 15 and 20 a year.

In 64 games this year, Aoki's only mustered up a .186 average with five doubles, no home runs and nine RBI. His .486 OPS likely has a lot to do with why he's hanging it up. Regardless, he's retiring with a combined 2,765 base hits and a career .304 average, which is absolutely nothing to scoff at. We wish him the best in his post-baseball life.