Veteran MLB reliever Zack Britton has retired from baseball, he announced Monday morning.
The 35-year-old lefty did not pitch at all in 2023, and he was limited to just three appearances in 2022 as a result of Tommy John surgery.
Britton spent his first seven big league seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, before getting traded to the New York Yankees and spending the next five years in the Bronx.
At his peak, Britton was among the most effective high-leverage pitchers in all of baseball. He was named an All-Star in 2015 and 2016, placing fourth in AL Cy Young voting and 11th AL MVP voting in 2016 after posting 47 saves and a 0.53 ERA.
Britton went 17-8 with a 1.84 ERA, 1.051 WHIP and 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings from 2014 to 2020. He put up three seasons with 30-plus saves, five seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA and three seasons with a sub-1.000 WHIP.
In 442 career appearances, Britton racked up 35 wins, 154 saves, 532 strikeouts and a 14.0 WAR.
Britton rarely held the role of closer after he got traded from the Orioles to the Yankees in 2018, but he still filled a significant role in New York’s bullpen. Alongside Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, Dellin Betances and Chad Green, Britton was part of one of the most talented group of relievers in the late 2010s.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2021, Britton rushed back to the mound in time for the Yankees’ playoff push in 2022. He was only able to record two outs across three outings, and his final pitch in the majors – which came against the Orioles – flew all the way to the backstop.
Despite sputtering out towards the end, Britton still put up elite numbers for the vast majority of his career.
“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.” Britton told The Athletic this month. “My gut was telling me it was time to see what life was like on the other side.”
Britton made roughly $80 million during his decade-plus with the Orioles and Yankees.
