MLB Pipeline ranks new Red Sox pitching prospect in the top-10
The Red Sox traded outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Yankees on Tuesday night for three pitchers. One of the pitchers that came back to the Red Sox has been ranked as the No. 10 prospect in their farm system, per MLB Pipeline.
Boston acquired 23-year-old righty Richard Fitts, who was named 2023 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year, going 11-5 with a 3.48 ERA (59 ER/152.2 IP) and 163 strikeouts in 27 starts for the Somerset Patriots.
Fitts earned 2023 Eastern League Post-Season All-Star honors and was named a 2023 Double-A All-Star by Baseball America, ranking second among Yankees farmhands in wins and third in strikeouts.
MLB Pipeline ranks Fitts behind Wikelman Gonzalez and one spot ahead of Luis Perales, who both were added to the 40-man roster in November.
MLB Pipeline’s write up on the new Red Sox pitching prospect:
Fitts 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. 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.
Baseball America listed Fitts as the Yankees No. 16 prospect and wrote, “The improvement 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.”
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