Richard Fitts Explained

Richard Fitts
Team:	Boston Red Sox
Position:	Pitcher
Birth Date:	17 December 1999
Birth Place:	Helena, Alabama, U.S.
Bats:	Right
Throws:	Right

Richard Logan Fitts (born December 17, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization.

Amateur career

Fitts grew up in Helena, Alabama, and attended Helena High School. As a senior, he had a 6–5 win–loss record on the mound with a 1.68 earned run average (ERA) and 102 strikeouts in innings pitched.^[1]

Fitts enrolled at Auburn University to play college baseball for the Auburn Tigers. He began seeing more consistent playing time towards the end of his 2019 freshman season and made two appearances in the College World Series,^{[2] [3] [4]} finishing the year with a 5.31 ERA with 47 strikeouts in innings pitched.^[5] Fitts made six appearances as a sophomore in 2020, with a 1–0 record and a 2.77 ERA with 16 strikeouts before the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.^{[6] [7]} Fitts entered his junior season on the watchlist for the Golden Spikes Award.^[8] He finished the season with a 1–3 record, a 5.88 ERA, and 41 strikeouts over innings. That summer, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.^[9]

Professional career

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees selected Fitts in the sixth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft.^[10] He signed with the team and made his professional debut in 2022 with the Single–A Tampa Tarpons. After pitching to a 5.01 ERA in 17 starts, he was promoted to the High–A Hudson Valley Renegades, where he recorded an excellent 0.55 ERA in 5 starts.^[11] He won the 2023 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year Award with the Double–A Somerset Patriots after logging an 11–5 record and 3.48 ERA with 163 strikeouts across 27 starts.^[12]

Boston Red Sox

On December 5, 2023, the Yankees traded Fitts, Greg Weissert, and Nicholas Judice to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Alex Verdugo.^[13] Entering the 2024 season, he was ranked as the Red Sox' number 11 minor-league prospect by Baseball America.^[14]

External links

• Auburn Tigers bio

Notes and References

1. Web site: Meet the 2018 All-Birmingham Baseball Team. Josh. Bean. AL.com. June 19, 2018. February 23, 2021.
2. Web site: Auburn pitcher Richard Fitts stepped up when team needed it most. Sam. Blum. AL.com. April 19, 2019. February 23, 2021.
3. Web site: Fitts stepping up his game for Auburn baseball this fall. February 23, 2021.
4. Web site: Freshman pitcher Richard Fitts may hold key to Auburn's hopes of reaching College World Series. Montgomery Advertiser. June 10, 2019. February 23, 2021.
5. Web site: Richard Fitts transforms into a draft prospect. January 31, 2021 . February 23, 2021.
6. Web site: Auburn baseball: How a homemade pitcher's mound put Richard Fitts on path to potential breakout. Montgomery Advertiser. February 11, 2021. February 23, 2021.
7. Web site: Ranking 2021 Breakout Candidates in College Baseball. Baseball America. December 14, 2020. February 23, 2021.
8. Web site: Richard Fitts named to Golden Spikes watch list. February 19, 2021 . February 23, 2021.
9. Web site: Richard Fitts . pointstreak.com . September 23, 2021.
10. Web site: New York Yankees pick Richard Fitts of Auburn baseball in Round 6 of 2021 MLB draft .
11. Web site: 2021 draft pick hopes to make moves in Yankees farm system .
12. Web site: Trezza. Joe. The 2023 Double-A All-Stars and Award Winners. Minor League Baseball. September 26, 2023. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230926201452/https://www.milb.com/news/double-a-all-stars-and-award-winners-for-2023. September 26, 2023.
13. Web site: December 6, 2023 . Red Sox trade Alex Verdugo to Yankees for three pitchers . December 6, 2023 . ESPN.com . en.
14. News: A look at the Red Sox’ full-season minor league affiliates and the top prospects at each level . Alex . Speier . . limited . April 1, 2024 . April 1, 2024.