Riley Kenneth Pint (born November 6, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He was drafted fourth overall in the 2016 MLB draft by the Colorado Rockies, for whom he made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2023.

Riley Pint
Free agent
Pitcher
Born: (1997-11-06) November 6, 1997 (age 27)
Lenexa, Kansas, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 17, 2023, for the Colorado Rockies
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Win–loss record0–0
Earned run average22.09
Strikeouts7
Teams

Amateur career

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Pint attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas. As a freshman, he had a 3–2 win–loss record with a 3.19 earned run average (ERA), and 35 strikeouts. As a sophomore, Pint went 8–0 with a 2.58 ERA and 57 strikeouts.[1] As a junior, he was 5–2 with a 2.20 ERA and 47 strikeouts.[2] Prior to his senior year, Pint and Jason Groome were the only two high school students on the Golden Spikes Award watchlist.[3] Pint also played basketball in high school.[4]

Professional career

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Pint was considered a top prospect for the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.[1][5][6] He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies with the fourth overall pick of the draft.[7] He was committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college baseball, but signed with the Rockies.[8][9] He spent his first professional season with the Grand Junction Rockies of the Rookie-level Pioneer League, where he posted a 1–5 record with a 5.35 ERA in 11 starts.[10] Pint spent 2017 with the Asheville Tourists of the Single-A South Atlantic League, where he pitched 93 innings and went 2–11 with a 5.42 ERA, 79 strikeouts, and 59 walks in 22 games started.[11] He returned to Asheville to begin 2018, and injured his forearm in his first start, landing him on the 7-day disabled list.[12][13] After returning from the injury, he was reassigned to the Boise Hawks and started three games for them, compiling a 1.13 ERA in eight innings pitched.[14]

Pint returned to Asheville in 2019, but missed time due to injury; over 17+23 innings, he went 0–1 with an 8.66 ERA and 23 strikeouts.[15][16] Pint did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[17] To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Spokane Indians of the High-A West League.[18] He continued to struggle with his control, striking out 17 while walking 10 in 10+23 innings pitched, before he decided to retire on June 8, 2021.[19]

On March 4, 2022, Pint un-retired and rejoined the Rockies organization.[20] He split the season between the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats and the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, logging a cumulative 2–2 record and 4.53 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 45+23 innings pitched across 41 appearances.

On November 15, 2022, the Rockies added Pint to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[21] Pint suffered a mild oblique strain during spring training and was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2023 season.[22] In 13 games for Albuquerque, Pint worked to a 7.41 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. On May 14, 2023, the Rockies announced that Pint would be promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[23]

Pint was optioned to Triple–A Albuquerque to begin the 2024 season.[24] In 4 games for the Rockies, he struggled to a 21.60 ERA with 7 strikeouts over 3+13 innings pitched. On August 17, 2024, Pint was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Albuquerque.[25] On November 6, he elected free agency.[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b Rosetta, Randy (January 13, 2015). "Future can wait for LSU commit Riley Pint, regarded as No. 1 prospect in 2016 MLB draft". The Times-Piscayune. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  2. ^ Beck, Joel (March 10, 2016). "St. Thomas Aquinas (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) pitcher Riley Pint is lighting up radar guns". USA Today. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  3. ^ "Jason Groome, Riley Pint are only high schoolers on Golden Spikes Award watch list". USA Today. February 16, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  4. ^ Boyce, David (December 19, 2014). "Riley Pint steps up big for St. Thomas Aquinas at Hy-Vee Shootout". Kansas City Star. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  5. ^ "Phillies have their first-pick attention focused on LSU commit Riley Pint". The Times Picayune. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  6. ^ "Kansas high school pitcher Riley Pint on Phillies' radar". Philadelphia Inquirer. November 5, 2015. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  7. ^ Scobyascoby, Ashley (June 9, 2016). "Aquinas pitcher Riley Pint goes to Colorado Rockies with No. 4 pick in MLB Draft | The Kansas City Star". Kansascity.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  8. ^ "LSU recruit Riley Pint is holding steady, but he also knows things could change".
  9. ^ Kruth, Cash (January 20, 2016). "Rockies sign Draft pick Riley Pint | MLB.com". M.mlb.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  10. ^ "Riley Pint Stats, Highlights, Bio | MiLB.com Stats | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Milb.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  11. ^ "Riley Pint Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  12. ^ "Rockies' Pint exits season debut due to injury". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  13. ^ RotoWire Staff (April 13, 2018). "Rockies' Riley Pint: On DL with forearm tightness". CBSSports.com. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  14. ^ "Riley Pint Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  15. ^ "Asheville Tourists Open Season on Thursday Night". April 3, 2019.
  16. ^ Newman, Kyle (July 26, 2019). "Rockies prospect update: Terrin Vavra raking for Asheville, lefty Colten Schmidt earns promotion and more". Denverpost.com. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  17. ^ "2020 Minor League Season Canceled". mlbtraderumors.com.
  18. ^ "Spokane Indians notebook: Jack Blomgren homers for first pro hit; Riley Pint on comeback trail | the Spokesman-Review".
  19. ^ "Former Rockies first-round Draft pick Riley Pint retires". Mlb.com. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  20. ^ "Former Rox first-round pick unretires". MLB.com.
  21. ^ "Rockies' Riley Pint: Joins 40-man roster". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  22. ^ "Rockies' Riley Pint: Throws bullpen session". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  23. ^ "Rockies' Riley Pint: In line for first career call-up". cbssports.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  24. ^ "Rockies' Riley Pint: Sent back to Triple-A". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  25. ^ "Rockies Outright Riley Pint". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  26. ^ Eddy, Matt (November 6, 2024). "Minor League Free Agents 2024". Baseball America. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
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