The Colorado Rockies had high hopes for Riley Pint when he was drafted with the fourth overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft. His high octane fastball made Pint the first Kansas high school pitcher taken in the first round since Brian Holman in 1983. With his 100 MPH fastball, plus change, and solid slider and curve, Pint appeared to be the future ace the Rockies desperately needed.
His career never took off as hoped. Command issues plagued Pint to the point where he lost any ability to find the strike zone. Being converted to the bullpen did not help those command issues, even as he was able to just focus on his fastball and change. When he retired in 2021, it was not too much of a surprise, although the Rockies left the door open in case he wanted to give baseball another chance.
Riley Pint impresses in first outing back in Colorado Rockies organization
That time came at the beginning of March. Pint was reinstated by the organization on March 1, getting a chance to restart his career. The hope was that the time away would allow him to refocus and clear his head, allowing him to tap into his potential.
It may be one game, but Pint showed that he may be able to live up to his billing after all. He made his 2022 debut with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats on Saturday, coming in during the top of the sixth. Although Hartford was already ahead 13-0, it was still an important outing to see if Pint could escape his command issues.
He was certainly able to. Pint fired a scoreless inning, striking out a pair of batters on his slider while showing more command of his stuff than he had in years. He seemed far more relaxed, not only trusting his stuff, but himself as well. It clearly made a difference.
At 24 years old, it is possible that Pint can still be a part of the Rockies’ future. He is not going to be that ace he was projected to be, but he could still be a key part in their bullpen if he can continue to show this command. He does have the stuff to be a late inning weapon if that happens.
The Colorado Rockies left the door open for Riley Pint to return. It may just be one outing, but he looks better than he ever did before retiring.