Tag: richard fitts

Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts flirts with perfection in latest start for Triple-A Worcester

Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts flirted with perfection in his latest start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday night.

Going up against the Charlotte Knights on the road at Truist Field, Fitts retired the first 21 batters he faced through seven perfect innings before surrendering a leadoff single to Oscar Colas in the bottom of the eighth. The right-hander was then relieved by lefty Lucas Luetge, who allowed Colas and an additional runner to score as a result of a two-out throwing error committed by shortstop Nick Sogard.

As such, neither Fitts nor Luetge were charged with earned runs. Instead, Fitts ended the night having only allowed one unearned run on one hit and zero walks to go along with seven strikeouts over seven-plus dominant innings. The 24-year-old threw 82 pitches (65 strikes) and elicited 15 swings-and-misses. He averaged 94.4 mph and topped out at 96.3 mph with his four-seam fastball while also mixing in a mid-80s slider and changeup, per Baseball Savant.

Fitts ultimately notched the winning decision on Wednesday as the WooSox defeated the Knights by a final score of 5-2 to snap a six-game losing streak. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound hurler is now 4-1 with a 3.72 ERA and 41 strikeouts to 15 walks in 10 outings (nine starts) spanning 48 1/3 innings for Worcester this season. Opposing hitters are batting .246 against him.

Among 33 qualified International League pitchers coming into play on Thursday, Fitts ranks ninth in walks per nine innings (2.79), 10th in walk rate (7.4 percent), seventh in batting average against, eighth in WHIP (1.22), 13th in swinging-strike rate (11.7 percent), seventh in ERA, and third in FIP (3.65), according to FanGraphs.

One of three pitchers acquired from the Yankees in last December’s Alex Verdugo trade, Fitts is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 7 prospect in the Red Sox’ farm system. That ranks second among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righty Wikelman Gonzalez.

Fitts was originally selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Auburn. The Alabama native signed with New York for $346,800 the following March and made his professional debut in the Florida State League. He earned 2023 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honors after posting a 3.48 ERA in 27 starts (152 2/3 innings) for Double-A Somerset last season.

When he was dealt from New York to Boston alongside Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice over the winter, Fitts was attending a facility Christmas party at Tinsley Performance in Pelham, Ala. Garrett Whitlock and Cooper Criswell, who later signed with the Red Sox as a free agent, were on hand as well. The three righties spent the rest of the offseason throwing together before reporting to spring training.

Unlike Whitlock and Criswell, though, Fitts was not at big-league camp in Fort Myers and is not currently on Boston’s 40-man roster. With that being said, Fitts can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time later this year, meaning he would need to be added to the 40-man by the November protection deadline if the Red Sox do not want to risk losing him.

Fitts, who does not turn 25 until December, could be added to the 40-man roster before then if he makes his major league debut at some point later this season. That is a legitimate possibility if the need for a starter arises, as he represents one of the top rotation depth options the Red Sox have available to them in Worcester.

(Picture of Richard Fitts: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts impresses in final outing of spring

Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts looked sharp in his final outing of the spring on Tuesday afternoon.

Fitts got the start in the Sox’ exhibition finale against the Rangers at Globe Life Field. The right-hander was tasked with facing plenty of big-league regulars but held his own, scattering just two hits and one walk with three strikeouts over 3 1/3 scoreless innings of work in a winning effort.

Though he kept Texas off the scoreboard, Fitts did deal with his fair share of traffic on the base paths. The 24-year-old gave up a leadoff single to Marcus Semien in the first inning, but stranded him at first. He then worked his way around a one-out double from top Rangers prospect Wyatt Langford in the second and a leadoff walk drawn by Leody Taveras in the third.

Both Langford and Taveras made it as far as third base but failed to advance past there. After the Red Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth, Fitts retired the lone batter he faced in the latter half of the fourth by fanning reigning ALCS MVP Adolis Garcia on six pitches. He was then relieved by Isaiah Campbell, the first of seven bullpen arms used by manager Alex Cora as Boston went on to defeat Texas by a final score of 4-1.

Finishing with 54 pitches (33 strikes), Fitts induced a game-high seven whiffs and was credited with the winning decision. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound righty threw 25 sliders, 20 four-seam fastballs, and nine changeups while averaging 93.9 mph and topping out at 95.8 mph with his heater, according to Baseball Savant.

One of three pitchers acquired from the Yankees in the December trade that sent Alex Verdugo to New York, Fitts is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among arms in the organization behind only Wikelman Gonzalez and Luis Perales. The Alabama native was originally selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Auburn and is coming off a 2023 season in which he posted a 3.48 ERA (3.92 FIP) with 163 strikeouts to 43 walks over 27 starts (152 2/3 innings) for New York’s Double-A affiliate.

On the heels of earning Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honors, Fitts was dealt to the Red Sox alongside Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice. Identified by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. as someone who could strengthen an area of need in the minor-league pipeline, Fitts took part in the club’s rookie development program back in January and pitched three innings of relief for Boston in its inaugural Spring Breakout matchup against the Braves at JetBlue Park earlier this month.

With his first-ever big-league spring training start in the books, Fitts will now report to Triple-A Worcester and open the 2024 campaign in the WooSox’ starting rotation. His first start of the season could come as soon as this Sunday, when Worcester wraps up a three-game weekend series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pa.

At this point in time, it remains to be seen if Fitts — who does not turn 25 until December — will be able to stick as a starter or ultimately move to the bullpen in the long run. He can nevertheless become Rule 5-eligible for the first time later this year, meaning the Red Sox would need to add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November in order to prevent that from happening.

Based on the early returns, though, Fitts could very well make his major-league debut this season depending on how things shake out for the Red Sox. How he fares with the WooSox out of the gate will certainly be worth monitoring.

(Picture of Richard Fitts: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Newest Red Sox pitching prospect Nicholas Judice throws fastball that has reached triple digits, whiff-inducing slider

The Red Sox added to their 2023 draft class earlier this month by trading outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Yankees.

In exchange for Verdugo, who is eligible for free agency next winter, Boston received three right-handers from New York who are all at different points in their respective careers. While Greg Weissert — with two seasons of big-league experience under his belt — and Richard Fitts — the reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Year — have each established themselves to varying degrees, Nicholas Judice has yet to throw a professional pitch.

Judice, the youngest of the four players involved in the rare swap between division rivals, was selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of this past summer’s draft out of Louisiana-Monroe. A native of the Pelican State himself, the 22-year-old signed with New York for $185,500 in July but did not see any action with a minor-league affiliate after putting pen to paper.

In his fourth and final season at Louisiana-Monroe this spring, Judice posted a 3.74 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 66 strikeouts to 15 walks in 21 appearances (three starts) spanning 53 innings of work for the Warhawks. Baseball America tabbed the righty as the 420th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class while MLB Pipeline gave a much more favorable ranking at No. 175.

Based off scouting reports from both publications, Judice has drawn rave reviews for his athleticism and projectability. Standing at an imposing 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Judice throws from a three-quarters arm slot and relies primarily upon two pitches: a low-90s fastball that reportedly touched 100 mph this spring and a whiff-inducing, mid-80s slider that was singled out by Baseball America as the best secondary offering in the Yankees’ 2023 draft class.

Although the bulk of his work in college came out of the bullpen, Judice made three straight Friday night starts for the Warhawks to close out their 2023 campaign and then started three more games for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League over the summer. Given his experience in both roles, Judice could be stretched out into a starter or fast-tracked as a reliever depending on how the Red Sox plan on utilizing him.

Having said that, Judice, who turns 23 in April, is now regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 57 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 26th among pitchers in the organization. He is currently projected by the site to begin the 2024 season — and therefore make his pro debut — with Low-A Salem.

(Picture of Nicholas Judice: University of Louisiana-Monroe Athletics)

Newest Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts was named 2023 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year

Richard Fitts, one of the newest members of the Red Sox organization, is coming off a very impressive 2023 season.

One of three pitchers acquired from the Yankees in Tuesday night’s Alex Verdugo trade, Fitts earned Pitcher of the Year honors in the Eastern League after putting up solid numbers for New York’s Double-A affiliate in Somerset, N.J. In a team-leading 27 starts for the Patriots, the 23-year-old right-hander went 13-5 with a 3.48 ERA and 163 strikeouts to 43 walks over 152 2/3 innings of work.

Among 14 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League this year, Fitts ranked sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.61) and strikeout rate (25.9 percent), second in walks per nine innings (2.53), walk rate (6.8 percent), and batting average against (.227), first in WHIP (1.14), fifth in swinging-strike rate (13.1 percent) and FIP (3.92), third in ERA, and fourth in xFIP (3.55), per FanGraphs.

Fitts, who turns 24 later this month, was originally selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Auburn, where he was teammates with Red Sox draftees Hayden Mullins and Tyler Miller. The Alabama native had briefly pitched for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League prior to being drafted and later signed with New York for $346,800. He took the rest of the year off and then made his professional debut at the Low-A level last April.

Between Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley last year, Fitts forged a 3.70 ERA and 3.52 FIP with 131 strikeouts to 20 walks across 22 starts (112 innings). He was recognized by MiLB.com as an organizational All-Star and came into the 2023 campaign ranked by Baseball America as the No. 19 prospect in the Yankees’ farm system. At that time, his scouting report read, in part:

“The improvement [from Low-A to High-A in 2022] was due in large part to a delivery alteration that allowed him to keep his front side firm so he could better drive the ball down in the zone. The change also helped his velocity increase and made his slider sharper. His four-seamer sat around 93 mph, touched 96 and posted an excellent average spin rate of 2,439 rpms. Fitts backed the four-seamer with his typical nasty slider, which sat in the low 80s and peaked at 88 while flashing plus potential. He rounds out his arsenal with a high-80s changeup that could get to average with increased usage.”

Following Tuesday’s four-player trade between the Red Sox and Yankees, Fitts is now regarded by another prominent publication in MLB Pipeline as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system. That ranks second among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righty Wikelman Gonzalez.

Per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound hurler “shows the potential for two plus pitches that have intriguing metrics. His 91-97 mph four-seam fastball features natural cutting and riding action, as well as quality induced vertical break that gives it tremendous carry up in the zone, while his 83-86 slider features the big sweep that the Yankees covet. He also can turn his slider into a harder cutter and occasionally will use an upper-80s two-seamer to give hitters a different look.

“Fitts doesn’t completely trust his fading mid-80s changeup, which shows promise but also needs more work,” it continues. “He has a sound arm action and a delivery that he repeats well, allowing him to pound the strike zone and average just 2.1 walks per nine innings in his first two years as a pro. The next step toward becoming a possible mid-rotation starter will be refining his command because he’s hittable when he doesn’t locate his pitches well.”

Fitts has been assigned to Double-A Portland for the time being but should be a candidate to start the 2024 season out with Triple-A Worcester depending on how things shake out the rest of the winter and into the spring. He can become eligible for next year’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

In addition to Fitts, the Red Sox also acquired righties Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice from the Yankees on Tuesday night. While Weissert has major-league experience as a reliever, Judice has yet to throw a professional pitch after being drafted by New York in the eighth round out of Louisiana-Monroe this past June.

(Picture of Richard Fitts courtesy of the Somerset Patriots)