Newly promoted Red Sox starter Richard Fitts named Triple-A Player of the Week
Prior to Richard Fitts making his major league debut with the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon, the right-hander was named the Triple-A International League player of the Week.
In his final start before his promotion, Fitts tossed six scoreless innings while giving up just two hits while striking out five batters. The righty earned his ninth win of the season for the WooSox, and it marked just the second time this season he went six innings in back-to-back starts.
Fitts has been working on going deeper into games all season, building his stamina to allow him to be a viable option for the Red Sox down the stretch if he was needed.
“To start the year, it was a lot of bigger issues,” Fitts said to Beyond the Monster. “I was trying to fix my changeup, fix my sweeper, and get my fastball exactly how I want to. I am starting to get closer to where I want them to be at. Now, it is fine tuning them into how I can go deep into games with them for six or seven innings and get guys out for the third time through the lineup. I want to get everything perfect to where it feels like I am playing MLB the Show, where I am throwing it exactly where I want to every single time. If I can get to that point, I feel I would be doing pretty good.”
Fitts made his Red Sox debut and pitched well, but the bullpen ultimately spoiled his outing. The 24-year-old pitched well over the first five innings of his outing. He wasn’t overpowering with his stiff, but he was efficient using his four-seam heater, which topped out at 96 mph, according to Baseball Savant. In addition, Fitts mixed in his slider and sweeper with a handful of splitters.
With the Sox leading 1-0 to begin the sixth inning, Triston Casas wasn’t able to pick a grounder that bounced off his glove and kicked in right field. Fitts would then give up a single to White Sox’ Luis Robert and was ultimately pulled with two outs and a runner on third.
Greg Weissert, who came over with Fitts in the Alex Verdugo trade, forced a weak grounder that resulted in a defensive error and a run scored.
Fitts tossed 66 pitches in the game, 44 for strikes, while getting five swings and misses.
The biggest takeaway from his start is that Fitts proved to be capable big league depth and could be a long-term back-end starter. It should be recognized he was facing the White Sox, and they’re historically bad this season. Outside of the opponent’s, how Fitts managed the game and his instincts on the mound are what should be evaluated.
The right-handed hurler made a pair of key defensive plays in the game, impressing his skipper in the process. He started a 1-6-3 double play that ended the fourth inning and also picked off Luis Robert at second base in the first inning.
"There were two things that he did today that tell me he's gonna be a good big-leaguer," Alex Cora told reporters following the game. "The pickoff, Ramon (Vazquez) put it on. He was patient, waited, and got the guy out at first. The ground ball, first and third one out. There's a lot of big-leaguers who would panic in that situation. Catch it and run the guy out at third, and don't turn the double play. He didn't hesitate, went to second, and Trevor (Story) turned the double play. Those two plays tell me where he's at mentally. He knows what he needs to do to compete at this level. Stuff was really good."
"I think they're huge," Fitts said. "The double play comes to mind. I'm out there trying to get an out."
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound righty is currently ranked as the Red Sox’ No. 15 prospect with Baseball America, No. 12 with SoxProspects, and No. 13 with MLB Pipeline.
