The dodger retired numbers honor some of the greatest players and managers in baseball history, and the total now stands at 11 numbers hanging above the Dodger Stadium pavilions.
What surprises many fans is that the Dodgers retired more numbers than any other National League West franchise, yet one of the most famous honorees, Jackie Robinson, never even played in Los Angeles. The problem is that casual fans often confuse which numbers belong to whom, why certain players were honored, and what the criteria actually are.
This guide breaks down every retired number, the stories behind them, how the team decides who gets honored, and how you can verify the details yourself using trusted baseball resources.
The Complete List of Dodger Retired Numbers
The dodger retired numbers list includes 11 uniform numbers, each honoring a Hall of Fame-level contributor to the franchise. Here is the full roster of honorees:
| Number | Honoree | Role | Years with Dodgers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pee Wee Reese | SS | 1940–1958 |
| 2 | Tommy Lasorda | Manager | 1976–1996 |
| 4 | Duke Snider | CF | 1947–1962 |
| 19 | Jim Gilliam | 2B/3B | 1953–1966 |
| 20 | Don Sutton | RHP | 1966–1980 |
| 24 | Walter Alston | Manager | 1954–1976 |
| 32 | Sandy Koufax | LHP | 1955–1966 |
| 34 | Fernando Valenzuela | LHP | 1980–1990 |
| 39 | Roy Campanella | C | 1948–1957 |
| 42 | Jackie Robinson | 2B | 1947–1956 |
| 53 | Don Drysdale | RHP | 1956–1969 |
A useful data point: ten of the eleven honorees are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Jim Gilliam is the exception, honored by the team for his 14 seasons of quiet versatility and his role in breaking barriers as a Black second baseman in the 1950s.
To apply this knowledge, memorize the list before your next stadium visit so you can spot every banner during batting practice.
Why Jackie Robinson's Number 42 Is Different
Jackie Robinson's number 42 stands apart from every other dodger retired numbers entry because Major League Baseball retired it league-wide. In 1997, on the 50th anniversary of Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier, Commissioner Bud Selig announced that no player on any team would ever wear 42 again.
As MLB's official website explains, Robinson "became the first player in any of the major professional sports leagues to have his number universally retired."
There is one famous exception to the universal retirement: players who were already wearing 42 when the announcement came were allowed to keep it for the rest of their careers. Mariano Rivera of the Yankees was the last to wear it regularly, retiring after the 2013 season.
The Dodgers themselves retired 42 much earlier, on June 4, 1972, alongside numbers for Campanella and Drysdale. That ceremony remains one of the most emotional days in the history of the dodger retired numbers tradition.
How to apply this: Watch for the league-wide Jackie Robinson Day every April 15, when every player in baseball wears number 42.
The Koufax Standard: Retiring Young and Great
Sandy Koufax is the clearest example of how the Dodgers honor peak greatness rather than longevity. Koufax retired after the 1966 season at just 30 years old due to arthritis in his pitching elbow, yet his final four seasons produced four ERA titles and three Cy Young Awards.
The Dodgers retired his number 32 on June 4, 1972, the same day they honored Campanella and Robinson, making it one of the defining moments among the dodger retired numbers.
Koufax's case shows that the franchise values dominance over accumulation. He compiled 165 wins and 2,396 strikeouts with a career 2.76 ERA, according to Baseball-Reference, the most complete statistical database for verifying any player's numbers. His 1963 through 1966 stretch is widely regarded as the most dominant four-year run by a pitcher in modern history.
How to apply this: When evaluating which current or former Dodger might join the dodger retired numbers next, compare their peak seasons to Koufax's standard of excellence rather than counting career totals.
The 2023 Addition: Fernando Valenzuela's Number 34
Fernando Valenzuela became the most recent addition to the dodger retired numbers when the team retired his number 34 on August 11, 2023. The announcement was planned as part of a celebration of Valenzuela's legacy, though it carried extra emotional weight after his death in October 2024.
"Valenzuela Time," or Fernandomania, swept baseball in 1981 when the rookie from Navojoa, Mexico won his first eight decisions, captured both the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year, and helped the Dodgers win the World Series.
His cultural impact on Mexican-American fans in Los Angeles is considered one of the main reasons the franchise built its deep connection to that community.
Valenzuela's retirement of his number also expanded the honoree list beyond Brooklyn-era stars and showed the team's willingness to honor players who defined specific eras. You can read the team's official tribute on the Dodgers' official MLB site.
How to apply this: Follow the team's official announcements page each season, because additions to the dodger retired numbers are often timed to anniversary dates or special weekends.
How the Dodgers Decide Who Gets Honored
The Dodgers do not publish rigid, public criteria, but a clear pattern emerges from the 11 decisions that shaped the dodger retired numbers. Every honoree meets most of these benchmarks:
- A Hall of Fame career or franchise-defining impact
- Their best years (or their entire career) spent with the Dodgers
- A championship contribution, such as Koufax's four World Series titles or Lasorda's two managerial championships
- Historical significance beyond statistics, like Robinson and Gilliam breaking racial barriers
Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda are the only managers among the dodger retired numbers, which reflects the franchise's unusual stability at the top. The pair managed the team for a combined 43 consecutive seasons, from 1954 through 1996, winning seven pennants and four World Series titles.
Not every great Dodger gets honored. Players like Gil Hodges, who is now in the Hall of Fame, have strong fan advocacy but have not received the retirement honor. Compare the candidates using this quick framework:
| Factor | What to check | Action to take |
|---|---|---|
| Career WAR with team | Overall value | Look up on Baseball-Reference |
| Hall of Fame status | Peer validation | Verify at baseballhall.org |
| Championships won | Team impact | Check postseason records |
| Cultural legacy | Off-field significance | Review team tributes |
How to apply this: Use these four factors to build your own case for any future addition to the dodger retired numbers, then compare it against the actual announcement.
Visiting Dodger Stadium to See the Retired Numbers
Seeing the dodger retired numbers in person is one of the great traditions of a stadium visit. The retired numbers are displayed on the club level and around the stadium, alongside plaques and statues honoring Robinson, Campanella, Koufax, and Lasorda. Arriving 90 minutes before first pitch lets you walk the outfield concourse and photograph each banner.
Consider planning your visit around a giveaway or tribute night. The Dodgers schedule promotional nights that honor alumni throughout the season, and the team announces the full promotional schedule before the season begins on their official website. Fans who attend the June 4 anniversary period often find special programming tied to the historic 1972 triple retirement ceremony.
According to the Dodgers' front office statements about the Valenzuela retirement, the team designs these tributes to connect generations of fans who follow the dodger retired numbers, from Brooklyn loyalists to the Fernandomania generation to today's championship rosters.
How to apply this: Check the promotional schedule on the team's official site before buying tickets and pick a date tied to an honoree you care about.
Frequently Asked Questions About dodger retired numbers
Who was the last Dodger to have his number retired?
Fernando Valenzuela was the most recent, with number 34 retired in August 2023. If a current star like Clayton Kershaw (number 22) were added, the total would jump to 12, and Kershaw's case is one of the strongest among active candidates given his three Cy Young Awards. Keep in mind that teams sometimes wait years after a player's career ends.
The most recent addition to the dodger retired numbers was Fernando Valenzuela’s number 34 in August 2023.
How many Dodger retired numbers are there in total?
There are currently 11 retired numbers across players and managers. One edge case to remember: number 42 counts once even though it was retired both by the team in 1972 and by all of Major League Baseball in 1997.
So you will sometimes see sources list the Dodgers as having retired 11 numbers or describe 42 as a league-wide honor simultaneously.
The dodger retired numbers currently total eleven, with number 42 counted once despite its dual retirement history.
Why hasn't Gil Hodges' number 14 been retired?
Hodges is a legitimate debate case, and the Dodgers have never explained a specific rejection. He drove in more than 100 runs in seven straight Brooklyn seasons and is now in the Hall of Fame, elected by the Veterans Committee in 2021.
A common scenario fans cite: the team may prioritize honorees who finished their careers with the franchise, which Hodges did not, ending his career with the Mets.
Can a retired number ever be worn again by a Dodger?
In practice, no. Once the team retires a number, no player wears it again, and there is no evidence of any Dodger receiving permission to do so.
The one nuance in baseball history involves number 42, where a handful of players league-wide were grandfathered in after 1997, but that exception applied only to players already wearing the number at the time of the announcement.
How do Dodger retired numbers compare to other MLB teams?
The Dodgers' 11 retired numbers place them among the most honoring franchises in baseball. The Yankees lead the sport with more than 20 retired numbers, while several teams, including some newer expansion clubs, have retired fewer than five. If you want to compare franchises yourself, Baseball-Reference maintains team pages listing each club's honored numbers and the retirement dates for each.
Conclusion: The Ultimate List Every Fan Should Know
The dodger retired numbers tell the story of the entire franchise, from Brooklyn pioneers like Robinson, Reese, Campanella, and Snider to Los Angeles icons like Koufax, Drysdale, Sutton, Alston, Lasorda, Gilliam, and Valenzuela. Keep these takeaways in mind:
- The Dodgers have retired 11 numbers, with number 34 for Valenzuela the most recent addition
- Jackie Robinson's 42 is the only number retired by all of Major League Baseball
- Peak dominance and cultural impact matter as much as career length
- Ten of the eleven honorees are Hall of Famers
Your next step: pick one honoree you know least about, pull up his Baseball-Reference page, and spend ten minutes reading his career line. Then plan a trip to Dodger Stadium to see the banners fly in person.
