Missy Pint stood on the left side of the media room at Coors Field with her phone out and a huge smile on her face. She snapped photo after photo of her son, Riley Pint, dressed in his new Rockies uniform as he addressed the media Wednesday afternoon.
Pint gained fame for throwing 100-mph fastballs at Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kan., but his family embraces him for other reasons.
“Easygoing,” Pint said, when asked how his family describes him. “Not really taking anything too seriously. (My mood doesn’t) get too high to too low.”
His mother nodded. “It’s true,” she said.
The “easygoing” 18-year-old right-handed pitcher started out his morning the way he would any other: he texted high school friends and poked fun at his sister, Lexi. Then, he signed a contract with the Rockies that included a $4.8 million signing bonus.
“It’s finally starting to sink in today,” the baby-faced Pint said, unable to keep from grinning.
Pint was Colorado’s first-round pick — fourth overall — in the MLB first-year player draft. In addition to his mom and sister, Pint was joined at Coors by his father, Neil, and his adviser, Jason Wood.
Since being drafted a week ago, Pint has undergone MRIs and physical examinations. Tuesday night, after touching down in Denver, he attended the Rockies’ 13-10 victory over the New York Yankees.
“It was awesome,” Pint said. “The field is just beautiful. It’s probably one of the best stadiums I’ve been to. It’s been a great experience so far.”
Pint said he has always been a pitcher, but it wasn’t until his junior year of high school that he began feeling the hype around his possible future in the majors. Still, he tried to keep his head down and stay focused on his craft, rather than worrying about whether or not he was a top-five pick.
“I try to focus on the game and not really focus on what else happens behind the scenes,” he said. “(I just tried) to get my mind right.”
At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Pint posted a 6-1 record with a 0.50 ERA for St. Thomas Aquinas. He struck out 75 batters in just 42 innings as the Saints won the Kansas Class 5A state title.
Pint said he is unsure of when his debut will be but said he’ll head to Grand Junction on Thursday morning to join the Rockies’ rookie league team.
“I’m just going to try and work my way up as quick as I can, and focus on taking things one day at a time, and just keep going,” he said. “I feel like if I do the things I’m capable of doing, then I can make it to the big leagues pretty quick.”
