*Photo from The Athletic*
Another career in baseball has reached its end. Relief pitcher Zack Britton has announced his retirement after over a decade in the majors, according to an announcement by Britton.
Britton last pitched in 2022 as he attempted a comeback from Tommy John Surgery. He appeared in just 3 games, recording just two outs and allowing one run before he was shut down with arm fatigue. He did not pitch at all in 2023.
In an interview, Britton said that "My last outing was against the Orioles. I threw a ball to the backstop as my last pitch; I think about that and it sucks. It might not have been perfect from a career standpoint or going out on a high note, but you don't always get to pick. My gut was telling me it was time to see what life was like on the other side."
Chosen by the Baltimore Orioles in the 3rd round of the 2006 draft, Britton made his debut as a starting pitcher but posted shaky numbers. Entering the 2014 season, he was converted to the bullpen, where he quickly became one of baseball's best relievers.
In that 2014 season, Britton had a dominant 1.65 ERA and 0.904 WHIP as he saved 37 games over 76 1/3 innings pitched. In 2015, Britton saved 36 games and closed out 58 in total as he posted a 1.92 ERA and 0.990 WHIP as he was part of the AL All-Star team.
That set Britton up for a truly dominating season in 2016. Making his second consecutive All-Star team, he allowed 4 runs in 67 innings for a truly dominating 0.54 ERA and 0.836 WHIP, with his ERA the lowest by any pitcher who had thrown 50 innings in a single season. He picked up 47 saves in as many chances, never blowing a save that year.
Britton blew a save in 2017, ending a streak of 60 save opportunities in a row dating back to 2015, which is an AL record. With the Orioles in a free fall, he was dealt to the New York Yankees for 3 pitchers. He had ERA's of 1.91 and 1.89 respectively in 2019 and 2020.
After 12 seasons in the majors, 7 1/2 with the Orioles and 4 1/2 with the Yankees, Britton is stepping away. He ends his career with a 3.13 ERA, 3.54 FIP, and 1.264 WHIP, picking up 154 saves while throwing 641 innings between 46 starts and 442 games total.
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