Ryan Ritter

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #19 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Ritter spent his freshman season with Logan (Ill.) JC before spending two seasons at Kentucky. The Rockies selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft and signed him for a bonus of $530,000. Ritter began 2023 in Low-A Fresno, where he hit .305/.405/.606 over 65 games before a promotion to Spokane on July 3. He hit well for 46 games before a late-season bump to Double-A.
  
  Scouting Report: Over the last few years Ritter has grown into power but has added more swing and miss to his game. His bat-to-ball skills are below-average, and he struggles particularly to hit spin and offspeed. Despite his hit tool concerns, Ritter shows the ability to discern balls and strikes and is aggressive on pitches in the zone. Ritter has shown a knack for backspinning fly balls to his pull side when and projects to have above-average power. He’s an above-average runner, and his speed also helps him show excellent range at shortstop. Ritter is an above-average defender at shortstop with an above-average throwing arm that plays at any spot on the diamond.
  
  The Future: Ritter could become a power-hitting shortstop with the upside of a second-division regular.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 30 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #29 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Ritter spent his freshman season at Logan (Ill.) JC before transferring to Kentucky for his sophomore season. Ritter answered some of the questions surrounding his hitting the following summer by hitting .330/.431/.429 with Cotuit of the Cape Cod League. The following spring, Ritter showed improved power and on-base ability but saw his already poor strikeout rate rise to 25.9%. The Rockies selected Ritter in the fourth round and signed for $530,000. Ritter debuted in the Arizona Complex League this summer and appeared in eight games.
  
  Scouting Report: While Ritter's strong defensive play drives his profile, his evolution as hitter over the past few seasons is an intriguing. He seemed to progress as a contact hitter throughout his first season at Kentucky and in the early part of his full summer on the Cape. As he made adjustments to his swing over that summer, Ritter tapped into above-average raw power, culminating in a power-happy display on the Capet. He made slight changes to his setup, but overall got more aggressive on pitches on the inner half as he looked to ambush fastballs early in counts. His combination of bat speed and leverage allows him to drive the ball to his pull side on his best contact, but this approach sacrifices his natural bat-to-ball abilities. Ritter is a strong defensive shortstop with above-average range, smooth hands and an above-average arm who should stick at the position.
  
  The Future: Ritter is a polished and at-times exciting defender at shortstop with a power-over-hit profile at the plate.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 30. Power: 55. Run: 55. Field: 60. Arm: 55.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #115 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Kentucky Committed/Drafted: Cubs ’19 (33)
  Age At Draft: 21.7
  BA Grade: 45/High
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60
  A solid juco prospect from Logan (Ill.) JC, Ritter transferred to Kentucky during the spring of 2021 and was a standout defensive shortstop while slashing .275/.323/.365 at the plate. Following his debut in the SEC, Ritter went to the Cape Cod League, where he ranked as the No. 12 prospect in the league after hitting .330/.431/.429 with a 22.9% strikeout rate. Ritter has largely been the same prospect this spring in 2022—a terrific defender at shortstop who was named to the SEC’s All-Defensive team and showed some offensive ability with a .283/.369/.469 slash line and 26% strikeout rate. Ritter will expand the zone frequently and particularly struggles to identify breaking balls and spit on pitches below the zone and off the plate on the outer half. He’s a fastball hitter who performed well against a solid sample of 93-plus mph velocity but whiffed between 40-50% of the time against sliders, curveballs and changeups. Ritter is a plus defensive shortstop who has easy plus arm strength, as well as good range and defensive instincts. Many have commented that he has a case as the best defender in the country. He could add more power with a 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame that has room for additional mass, but he’ll need to make more contact and improve his pitch recognition.
• Ranked #321 prospect in 2020 draft
  A Kentucky signee, Ritter is a solid-average defender who should be able to remain at shortstop, thanks to above-average actions and solid range. A 33rd-round pick of the Cubs out of high school, Ritter chose to go to John A. Logan (Ill.) JC, where he posted a .342/.424/.481 with two home runs, 19 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 12 tries. Ritter is an above-average runner with a fringe-average arm. He will need to get stronger and fill out and he currently is a raw hitter who struggles to time up velocity at times.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Ritter spent his freshman season at Logan (Ill.) JC before transferring to Kentucky for his sophomore season. Ritter answered some of the questions surrounding his hitting the following summer by hitting .330/.431/.429 with Cotuit of the Cape Cod League. The following spring, Ritter showed improved power and on-base ability but saw his already poor strikeout rate rise to 25.9%. The Rockies selected Ritter in the fourth round and signed for $530,000. Ritter debuted in the Arizona Complex League this summer and appeared in eight games.
  
  Scouting Report: While Ritter's strong defensive play drives his profile, his evolution as hitter over the past few seasons is an intriguing. He seemed to progress as a contact hitter throughout his first season at Kentucky and in the early part of his full summer on the Cape. As he made adjustments to his swing over that summer, Ritter tapped into above-average raw power, culminating in a power-happy display on the Capet. He made slight changes to his setup, but overall got more aggressive on pitches on the inner half as he looked to ambush fastballs early in counts. His combination of bat speed and leverage allows him to drive the ball to his pull side on his best contact, but this approach sacrifices his natural bat-to-ball abilities. Ritter is a strong defensive shortstop with above-average range, smooth hands and an above-average arm who should stick at the position.
  
  The Future: Ritter is a polished and at-times exciting defender at shortstop with a power-over-hit profile at the plate.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 30. Power: 55. Run: 55. Field: 60. Arm: 55.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Ritter spent his freshman season at Logan (Ill.) JC before transferring to Kentucky for his sophomore season. Ritter answered some of the questions surrounding his hitting the following summer by hitting .330/.431/.429 with Cotuit of the Cape Cod League. The following spring, Ritter showed improved power and on-base ability but saw his already poor strikeout rate rise to 25.9%. The Rockies selected Ritter in the fourth round and signed for $530,000. Ritter debuted in the Arizona Complex League this summer and appeared in eight games.
  
  Scouting Report: While Ritter's strong defensive play drives his profile, his evolution as hitter over the past few seasons is an intriguing. He seemed to progress as a contact hitter throughout his first season at Kentucky and in the early part of his full summer on the Cape. As he made adjustments to his swing over that summer, Ritter tapped into above-average raw power, culminating in a power-happy display on the Capet. He made slight changes to his setup, but overall got more aggressive on pitches on the inner half as he looked to ambush fastballs early in counts. His combination of bat speed and leverage allows him to drive the ball to his pull side on his best contact, but this approach sacrifices his natural bat-to-ball abilities. Ritter is a strong defensive shortstop with above-average range, smooth hands and an above-average arm who should stick at the position.
  
  The Future: Ritter is a polished and at-times exciting defender at shortstop with a power-over-hit profile at the plate.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 30. Power: 55. Run: 55. Field: 60. Arm: 55.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  August Update: A solid juco prospect from Logan (Ill.) JC, Ritter transferred to Kentucky during the spring of 2021 and was a standout defensive shortstop while slashing .275/.323/.365 at the plate. Following his debut in the SEC, Ritter went to the Cape Cod League, where he ranked as the No. 12 prospect in the league after hitting .330/.431/.429 with a 22.9% strikeout rate. Ritter has largely been the same prospect this spring in 2022—a terrific defender at shortstop who was named to the SEC&#39s All-Defensive team and showed some offensive ability with a .283/.369/.469 slash line and 26% strikeout rate. Ritter will expand the zone frequently and particularly struggles to identify breaking balls and spit on pitches below the zone and off the plate on the outer half. He&#39s a fastball hitter who performed well against a solid sample of 93-plus mph velocity but whiffed between 40-50% of the time against sliders, curveballs and changeups. Ritter is a plus defensive shortstop who has easy plus arm strength, as well as good range and defensive instincts. Many have commented that he has a case as the best defender in the country. He could add more power with a 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame that has room for additional mass, but he&#39ll need to make more contact and improve his pitch recognition. Ritter signed for $522,900 after the Rockies selected him with the 116th overall pick.