Former Rockies first-round pick Riley Pint retires

Rockies right-handed pitching prospect Riley Pint has retired from baseball at the age of 23, Thomas Harding of MLB.com was among those to relay.

Pint – who at times showed off triple-digit velocity – was the fourth overall pick of the Rockies in 2016, at which point outlets such as MLB.com and Baseball America ranked him as the second-best prospect in his class. BA even wrote then that Pint had a chance to turn into a Justin Verlander-type ace in a best-case scenario, although it did note that there were concerns regarding his control.

The Rockies signed Pint to a $4.8 million bonus after they picked him, but his inability to throw strikes on a consistent basis helped lead to his undoing. Pint walked at least five batters per nine at every minor-league level from 2016 through this season, and he ever advanced beyond High-A ball. He’ll wrap up his career with a 5.56 ERA and 8.8 K/9 against 7.2 BB/9 across 166 2/3 frames in the minors.

Rockies assistant general manager of player development Zach Wilson has left the door open for Pint to return, but for now, he’s the latest of their recent high picks to retire early. Fellow righties Mike Nikorak (the 27th pick in 2015) and Robert Tyler (38th in 2016) have also stepped away from the game since 2020.