Former All-Star reliever Zack Britton retires

Zack Britton has decided to call it a career.

The former All-Star reliever officially announced his retirement Monday after 12 big-league seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees.

Britton attempted a comeback from Tommy John surgery with the Yankees in 2022 but struggled in three late-season appearances. He did not pitch this year.

"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," Britton told Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. "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."

Britton's most famous for authoring one of the finest relief seasons in MLB history while with Baltimore in 2016. He posted a microscopic 0.54 ERA - the lowest in a single season in AL/NL history, excluding the pandemic year - and 0.84 WHIP along with 74 strikeouts and an AL-best 47 saves to help the Orioles reach the playoffs. He finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting that year and also earned some MVP support.

All told, he retires with a lifetime 3.13 ERA, 3.54 FIP, and 1.26 WHIP along with 532 strikeouts and 154 saves in 641 big-league innings. A two-time All-Star, Britton posted an ERA below two in all four of his seasons as a qualified reliever.