Zackary Grant Britton (born December 22, 1987), known professionally as Zach Britton until February 2019, is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees.
Britton graduated from Weatherford High School in Texas and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the third round of the 2006 MLB draft. Initially a starting pitcher, Britton converted to a closer and led the American League in saves in 2016 and was named to the AL All-Star team in 2015 and 2016. From September 20, 2015, to August 23, 2017, Britton converted 60 straight saves, an American League record. The Orioles traded Britton to New York during the 2018 season.
Britton, the youngest of three brothers, was raised in Santa Clarita, California. His grandmother on his maternal side is of Dominican origin, but he does not speak Spanish. His father, Greg, is of German-Irish descent.
Britton attended Canyon High School for his freshman year. During baseball practice with the freshman team, he sustained fractures of the skull and clavicle and bleeding in the brain as a result of diving headfirst into concrete while attempting to catch a foul popup. He spent two days in intensive care.
Britton's family moved to Texas, and Britton transferred to Weatherford High School. He was an all-state outfielder for the baseball team and also pitched. Britton was offered an athletic scholarship to attend Texas A&M University.
The Baltimore Orioles selected Britton in the third round, with the 85th overall pick, of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft. He accepted a $435,000 signing bonus to sign a professional contract and not attend college.
Before the 2010 season, Britton was named the Orioles' third-best prospect according to Baseball America. In a midseason top 25 prospect list, he was ranked the 10th-best prospect in all of baseball. Prior to 2011, Baseball America had him ranked second among Orioles prospects.
Even though Britton was statistically the Orioles' best pitcher during spring training, he started the 2011 campaign in the minors, being optioned to the Norfolk Tides on March 29. Britton was recalled five days later on April 3, however, to replace the injured Brian Matusz in the starting rotation. Britton capped a season-opening three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays by winning his MLB debut that same day in a 5–1 victory at Tropicana Field. He allowed a run and three hits in six innings.
Britton showcased his batting prowess during his first experience with interleague play. His five hits in eight at-bats were the most by any American League (AL) pitcher in 2011. His first major league hit and run batted in (RBI) came on a double off Jason Marquis in the fourth inning of an 8–4 defeat to the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on June 17. He hit his first big league home run off Brandon Beachy in the third inning of a 5–4 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on July 3.
Britton was unexpectedly sent to the Bowie Baysox on July 9. After a 5–1 start, he had lost six of his next seven decisions. There was speculation that the Orioles made the move to prevent him from getting a full year of major league service time and thus delaying his eligibility for free agency by a season.
Britton finished his rookie campaign, appearing in 28 games (all starts), pitching to a 4.61 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and an 11–11 record.
On March 26, 2012, Britton was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a left shoulder impingement. He was then transferred retroactively to the 60-day disabled list on June 3, but was reinstated on June 6 to begin his minor league rehab assignment with the Tides. He made his 2012 debut on July 17.
In his second season, Britton pitched to a disappointing 5.07 ERA in 12 games (11 starts), compiling a 5–3 record.
The Orioles optioned Britton to their Triple-A affiliate Norfolk Tides on March 23 to start the 2013 season. He was recalled on April 25. He pitched in only eight games for the Orioles, making seven starts with a 2–3 record in 40 innings of work. Britton made his final start on September 4, before being moved to the bullpen.
Britton made the opening day roster for the 2014 Orioles season and picked up his first win of the year pitching in relief against the Red Sox on March 31. On May 15, Britton earned his first career save, against the Kansas City Royals, pitching a perfect 9th inning. Britton would assume the role of Orioles' closer for the rest of the season, converting 37 of the 41 save opportunities presented to him, finishing the regular season with a 1.65 ERA. The Orioles would sweep the Detroit Tigers in the 2014 American League Division Series, with Britton earning a pair of saves, in games 2 and 3.
On February 4, 2015, Britton agreed to $3.2 million deal and avoided an arbitration hearing.
Britton was selected to his first career MLB All-Star Game after going 1–0 with 23 saves in 24 attempts and a 1.72 ERA in the first half. Britton pitched two-thirds scoreless innings in the game and he also struck out one batter. He finished the year with a record of 4–1, converting 36 of 40 saves while posting a 1.92 ERA. He was tied for 3rd in the American League for Saves.
Britton signed a one-year, $6.75 million contract with the O's on February 5 to avoid arbitration. On June 9, Britton converted his 19th consecutive save to start the season, setting a new Orioles franchise record. Britton extended his streak to 29 games to close out the first half of the 2016 season after converting 27 consecutive saves before the All-Star break. Selected to the All-Star team for his second straight year, Britton pitched to a 2–1 record with a 0.72 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 372⁄3 innings.