Gian Rizzo

Gian Franco Rizzo Moronta sometimes listed as Gianfranco

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 160028 lb.

• Born September 5, 1993 in Maracaibo, Zulia Venezuela

BR register page

Biographical Information

Gian Rizzo pitched in the Dominican Republic, USA, Venezuela, Italy and Germany and has been on the Venezuelan national team.

Rizzo was signed by Milwaukee Brewers scouts Fernando Arango and Freddy Torres in March 2011. He was 4-1 with a save and a 1.82 ERA for the 2011 DSL Brewers, striking out 67 in 64 1/3 IP. He was a Dominican Summer League All-Star. Despite that success, he returned to the same team in 2012 and did even better (3-0, 1.08, 52 K:6 BB in 50 IP). Had he qualified (he came close), he would have been third in the DSL in ERA behind Antonio Senzatela and Anthony Vizcaya. He again was a DSL All-Star.

He split 2013 between the DSL Brewers (0-1, 3.75 in 3 G) and AZL Brewers (1-2, Sv, 4.28, 53 K:66 B BB in 48 1/3 IP). The control wizard moved to the bullpen with the 2014 AZL Brewers, going 1-0 with four saves, a 2.22 ERA and 32 K to 33 BB in 28 1/3 IP. That winter, he allowed one run in 5 1/3 IP for the Águilas del Zulia. In 2015, he was 0-3 with three saves and a 3.09 ERA for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, walking only 7 in 55 1/3 IP. He had a 4.26 ERA in 12 games that winter for Zulia.

Despite a 2.54 ERA for his minor league career, the Brewers let him go. Signing with Padova BSC, he was 0-2 with two saves and a 2.33 ERA in 2016, striking out 36 in 27 IP (stats at B-R Register are incomplete). He tied for 7th in the 2016 Italian Baseball League in saves. For Italy in the 2016 European Championship, he relieved Filippo Crepaldi and got the win over Croatia and Matko Dabo, allowing one hit (to Franko Vrlić Kovačić) in two shutout innings, fanning three. He also got the win over the Czech national team, after he relieved José Escalona in the 5th and allowed one hit (to Jakub Hajtmar) in 1 1/3 shutout innings. His 4 1/3 shutout frames for the 2016 Euros were second-best on the Bronze Medalists, 2/3 behind Carlos Richetti. He tied Lowuin Sacramento, Junior Oberto, Leonel Cespedes and Antonio Horvatić for second in the Euros in wins, one behind former major leaguer Rhiner Cruz.

Signing with the Mannheim Tornadoes in Germany for 2017, he was 8-0 with a save, 1.61 ERA and 74 K in 61 2/3 IP. He was second in the Southern Bundesliga-1 in ERA (.85 behind Ryan Bollinger), was 4th in K (between Tim Stahlmann and Kevin Trisl), tied Justin Erasmus for third in wins, was 8th in IP, ranked 5th in K:BB ratio (between Clayton Freimuth and Mike Bolsenbroek), was 3rd in K/IP (after Freimuth and Bollinger), was second in WHIP (.88, .29 behind Bollinger) and was third in opponent OPS (494, trailing Bollinger and Freimuth). That winter, he allowed one run in 2 2/3 IP for Zulia, going 1-0. He struggled for Italy in the 2018 Haarlem Baseball Week (0-1, 15.43) and lost to Cuba's Roy Hernández in the 4th/5th place game.

He had a 7-4, 4.29 record for the 2019 Mannheim club. He tied for 6th in Germany in wins. In 2020, he fell to 1-2, 5.74. Dropping to the German minors in 2021, he was 4-3 with a 4.28 ERA for the Hünstetten Storm. He was third in the Bundesliga-2 Southwest with 74 K, tied for 6th in wins and was 4th with 54 2/3 IP. His control gone, he led the league with 44 walks.