New York Yankees 2023 Top 30 Prospect Wraps: Richard Fitts

Richard Fitts, a former Auburn pitcher, put together a great season for the New York Yankees' Double-A affiliate.

InsideThePinstripes.com will review each of the New York Yankees’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com at the end of the 2023 season.

No. 12: RHP Richard Fitts, Somerset Patriots (Double-A)

Statistics for 2023: (27 games, all starts): 11-5, 3.48 ERA, 152.2 innings, 131 hits, 60 runs (59 earned), 22 home runs, 43 walks, 163 strikeouts, .227 opponent batting average, 1.14 WHIP.

Season Transactions: Fitts was assigned to Somerset at the start of the season and was with the Patriots for all of 2023.

Season Summary: Fitts made good progress overall in 2023, as he set a career high in victories, innings pitched and strikeouts. He struck out 163 wand walked 43, meaning he had a 3-to-1 strikeout ratio. He allowed 22 home runs on 2,447 pitches and he held hitters to a .227 average, just 11 points higher than his first pro season in 2022. His ERA held steady from year to year.

Journey Through the Organization: Sometimes injures can be a blessing to MLB teams. Fitts was a reliever at Auburn and was considered by some as a potential first-round pick in 2021, but a foot injury derailed his junior season. But it didn’t dissuade the Yankees from picking him. They just picked up a bargain in a sixth-round pick an over-slot $346,800 bonus. The injury also allowed him to start his pitching career in 2021. But he really picked up steam in late 2022 when he had an ERA of 0.55 in five starts at High-A Hudson Valley.

What’s next: He never got the chance to be a starter in college. The Yankees are giving him the opportunity, but like many young starters he needs a third pitch to make it all work. MLB.com scouts praise his four-seam fastball that has cutting and riding action, along with a slider with good sweep. The change-up he’s working on needs to get better. He has an enviable walk rate (1.6 per nine innings). He could start 2024 at Somerset or he could start it at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Spring Training and the development of his change-up will likely determine where he starts.

2023 New York Yankees Top 30 Prospect Wraps:

No. 30 Elijah Dunham | No. 29 Danny Watson | No. 28 Edgar Barclay | No. 27 Justin Lange | No. 26 Yoendrys Gomez | No. 25 Matt Sauer | No. 24 Agustin Ramirez | No. 23 Ben Rice | No. 22: Anthony Hall | No. 21 Brendan Beck | No. 20 Jared Serna | No. 19: Roc Riggio | No. 18 Zach Messinger | No. 17 Tyler Hardman | No. 16 Clayton Beeter | No. 15 Kyle Carr | No. 14 Randy Vasquez | No. 13 Brock Selvidge |