Former All-Star reliever Pressly retires after 13 seasons
Two-time All-Star reliever Ryan Pressly announced his retirement Saturday after 13 big-league seasons.
"After spending the last 19 years in professional baseball, I've made the decision to hang up my cleats and step away from the mound," Pressly wrote in a statement obtained by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. "It's bittersweet, but what a ride it's been.
"... The friendships - from bullpen brothers to vets who mentored me along the way - those bonds last a lifetime. I'll miss the banter in the 'pen, the inside jokes that kept us loose on those high-leverage nights. But I'm fired up for this next chapter with my family and chasing whatever adventure comes next. Grateful beyond words."
Pressly, 37, struggled during what ended up as his final season with the Chicago Cubs. Chicago traded for him last winter to serve as its closer, but he tallied just five saves while posting a 6.1 K/9 rate in 41 1/3 innings before being released in August.
An 11th-round pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2007, Pressly reached the majors with the Minnesota Twins in 2013 and spent parts of six seasons there. However, he's best remembered for his seven-year run with the Houston Astros, where he morphed into a dominant bullpen anchor.
After joining the Astros at the 2018 trade deadline, Pressly became virtually unhittable, posting a 0.77 ERA down the stretch while finishing the year with 101 total strikeouts. Between August 2018 and May 2019, the native Texan set an MLB record with 40 consecutive scoreless relief appearances, a feat that's since been matched by Josh Hader.
Pressly also turned into a force in October, during which he put up a lifetime 2.78 ERA with 60 strikeouts and allowed just one homer in 47 playoff appearances. His 2022 postseason was one for the ages, as he didn't allow an earned run in 11 innings and was on the mound to save Houston's second World Series championship. His '22 run was part of a longer 22 2/3-inning scoreless streak that stretched across three postseasons.
Pressly retires having collected a 3.33 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 721 strikeouts, and 117 saves across 667 big-league appearances. His 2.78 postseason ERA sits 10th all time among relievers with at least 40 playoff innings, and he's one of just seven relievers to record at least 60 career playoff strikeouts.
Pressly will be eligible to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot beginning in 2031.