Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Richard Fitts
The Red Sox are going to promote right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts ahead of the series finale against the White Sox on Sunday, according to MassLive’s Chris Smtih.
“Really good chance he starts,” a source told Smith on whether Fitts will start or pitch on relief on Sunday.
Fitts has been strong all season for the WooSox, including posting a 2.38 ERA over his last six starts. In his last outing for Worcester on Sept. 2, the 24-year-old hurled six scoreless frames allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out five.
Overall this season, Fitts is 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 24 outings (23 starts) for the WooSox. Fitts has struck out 111 batters with 37 walks over 116 2/3 innings. His only relief appearance came back on May 11 in Buffalo. When asked why he didn’t start, the team said they didn’t want Fitts’ first time out of the bullpen to come in the big leagues if they needed him.
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.
The Alabama native got a brief taste of pitching at the big league level, albeit it was during the final spring training series on the road against Texas back in March. He tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits a walk while striking out three in the win over the Rangers.
Fitts has been keeping his eye on all of the recent WooSox promotions to Boston with the hopes he’ll finally get the call to the bigs.
“I pay a lot of attention to what happens with our team because these guys are my teammates,” Fitts said in an interview with Beyond the Monster back on Aug. 14. “Watching Mickey Gasper and Chase Shugart get up there recently has been very cool. I like to be one of the first guys who reaches out to them and do what I can to be there for them. If it opens up an opportunity for me down the line, that would be great too.”
Fitts is now getting an opportunity to pitch in the majors and showcase what he’s been working on in the minors all season.
“To start the year, it was a lot of bigger issues,” Fitts said. “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.”
The Red Sox will need to make a 40-man roster move to add Fitts to the expanded 28-man roster.
Boston acquired Fitts from the Yankees during the offseason along with reliever Greg Weissert and minor league pitcher Nicholas Judice for outfielder Alex Verdugo.
