Rockies first round pick Riley Pint talks altitude, his basketball career, and more

Denver — The Colorado Rockies officially signed their first round pick Riley Pint on Wednesday. Pint was selected 4th overall in the 2016 MLB Draft by the club and was in Denver for a meet and greet with the media, answering questions on everything from the excitement of draft day to his basketball acumen.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a press conference with a new Rockies’ pitcher without a few questions about Coors Field and the altitude. Pint was relatively succinct on the matter saying, “It’s not going to change my approach to anything,” Pint said. “All I need to do is keep the ball down and I think my talent will help with that. ”

Pint was drafted largely on the strength of his overpowering fastball which has been clocked up to 102 mph. He made it clear that he expected to increase his velocity with all the hard work he has put in but admitted when it came into throwing in the high-90s and above, “That first time, it’s pretty awesome. But after that first time, you don’t really think about it anymore.” Pint added that he also throws a slider, curveball, changeup and a knuckle curve.

So now the question becomes, can the high-schooler beat out expectations and become a contributing factor earlier than some have predicted. He certainly seems to think so: “If I focus on one day at a time and doing the things I think I’m capable of doing, I think I can [get to the big leagues] pretty quick.”

It was clear he has developed a ton of confidence in his pitching abilities, but he was decidedly more humble when it came to his basketball skills. “I was alright,” he said, “I was a point guard, could dish it out a little bit.”