Quick Facts
Biography
Ricardo Antonio Valera Pinto (born January 20, 1994) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Career
Pinto signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as an international free agent in December 2011. He made his professional debut with the Venezuelan Summer League Phillies in 2012 and also played with them in 2013. In 2014, he played for the Williamsport Crosscutters. Pinto spent 2015 with the Lakewood BlueClaws and Clearwater Threshers. He won the Paul Owens Award as the Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Year after going 15–4 with a 2.97 earned run average (ERA) and 105 strikeouts. The Phillies added him to their 40-man roster after the 2016 season.
Pinto started the 2017 season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, and was called up to Phillies on May 31, making his MLB debut the same day. In his debut against the Miami Marlins, Pinto pitched two innings in relief, allowing four runs on six hits along with three walks and a home run, and struck out two.