Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 40

A 33rd-round pick by the Cubs out of an Illinois high school in 2019, Ritter attracted more scouting attention the following year at John A. Logan (Ill.) CC but went unpicked in the shortened five-round Draft. He transferred to Kentucky and became one of the top defensive shortstops in the Southeastern Conference last spring. His glove alone might land him in the top three rounds in 2022, though persistent questions about his bat could knock him down a bit. 

Capable of playing anywhere on the diamond, Ritter is a smooth defender with nice actions at shortstop. His quickness gives him plenty of range and he has soft hands and a good internal clock. He features plus arm strength and makes consistently accurate throws from a variety of angles. 

The question is how much Ritter will hit because he has down little damage with the Wildcats and initially struggled with wood bats in the Cape Cod League. Scouts don't love his right-handed swing and he doesn't make consistent contact against non-fastballs, though he did make adjustments and rallied at the end of his stint on the Cape. Built along the lines of Marcus Semien, he has some strength that could produce at least 15-homer power if he figures things out at the plate, and he's also a solid runner out of the batter's box and plus underway. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 45

After two years at Kentucky following his transfer from John A. Logan CC, Ritter had garnered a reputation as an outstanding defensive shortstop who had questions surrounding his hit tool. That's who the Rockies thought they were getting when he joined the organization as a fourth-round pick in 2022. Much to their surprise -- at least in his first year-plus in the system -- he's proven to be more of an offensive force than expected, earning California League MVP honors and two promotions en route to a 20-20 campaign in his first full season.

Nothing has changed in terms of what people think Ritter can do defensively. He should be able to play shortstop for a long time with an excellent combination of athleticism and instincts. He has outstanding actions and field awareness with a plus arm that can make throws from anywhere. 

At Kentucky, Ritter never got to a point where he was consistently impacting the baseball, even though there was raw power waiting to be unlocked. There were glimpses during his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League, but it was all to his pull side and the Rockies have worked with him to formulate more of an approach at the plate to drive the ball to the right-center-field gap, especially on fastballs, which in turn is helping him recognize spin more consistently. He's incorporating the athleticism seen at shortstop into the batter's box with positive outcomes. If he can continue his transition from swinger to hitter, he has the chance to be more than just a utility-type at the highest level.

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 45

A solid prospect who was a late-round Draft pick out of the Illinois high school ranks, Ritter raised his profile at John A. Logan (Ill.) CC in 2020, but transferred to Kentucky after not being selected in the pandemic-shortened Draft. He spent two years with the Wildcats as one of the top defensive shortstops in the Southeastern Conference, but questions about his bat limited his stock a bit and he landed in the fourth round of the 2022 Draft with the Rockies. After a very brief pro debut that summer, Ritter's offensive game took a nice step forward, enabling him to earn a promotion from Single-A Fresno up to High-A Spokane in July of his first full season.

While Ritter has always had plenty of strength, he struggled to use it to impact the ball much during his college days, struggling especially against softer stuff. He's worked on his overall approach since joining the Rockies organization with a big emphasis on catching the ball out front more consistently, which helped the right-handed hitter go deep 18 times in 65 games with Fresno before his promotion. A solid runner, especially underway, he's capable of stealing a base now and again.

How much Ritter hits will determine his ultimate role because there's no question that his glove will play in the big leagues. He's a very smooth defender with excellent actions and range, soft hands and a good internal clock to go along with a plus arm. He's also shown he can play positions other than short, with a future utility role the most likely outcome unless his bat continues to progress as he advances.

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 40

A 33rd-round pick by the Cubs out of an Illinois high school in 2019, Ritter attracted more scouting attention the following year at John A. Logan (Ill.) CC but went unpicked in the shortened five-round Draft. He transferred to Kentucky and became one of the top defensive shortstops in the Southeastern Conference last spring. His glove alone may have been the reason the Rockies took him in the fourth round of the 2022 Draft and gave him $530,000 to sign, though there are questions about his bat. 

Capable of playing anywhere on the diamond, Ritter is a smooth defender with nice actions at shortstop. His quickness gives him plenty of range, and he has soft hands and a good internal clock. He features plus arm strength and makes consistently accurate throws from a variety of angles.

The question is how much Ritter will hit, because he has done little damage with the Wildcats and initially struggled with wood bats in the Cape Cod League. Scouts don't love his right-handed swing, and he doesn't make consistent contact against non-fastballs, though he did make adjustments and rallied at the end of his stint on the Cape. Built along the lines of Marcus Semien, he has some strength that could produce at least 15-homer power if he figures things out at the plate, and he's also a solid runner out of the batter's box.

Awards

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

CAL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2023

CAL Most Valuable Player

Year	Team
2023

CAL Player of the Week

Week	Team
07/02/2023
05/21/2023
04/23/2023

CAL Player of the Month

Month	Team
06/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	09/25/2024	SS Ryan Ritter assigned to Salt River Rafters.
	08/27/2024	Hartford Yard Goats activated SS Ryan Ritter from the 7-day injured list.
	07/31/2024	Hartford Yard Goats placed SS Ryan Ritter on the 7-day injured list.
	03/07/2024	Colorado Rockies Prospects activated SS Ryan Ritter.
	02/01/2024	Colorado Rockies invited non-roster SS Ryan Ritter to spring training.
	09/06/2023	SS Ryan Ritter assigned to Hartford Yard Goats from Spokane Indians.
	09/06/2023	Hartford Yard Goats activated SS Ryan Ritter.
	07/03/2023	SS Ryan Ritter assigned to Spokane Indians from Fresno Grizzlies.
	04/03/2023	SS Ryan Ritter assigned to Fresno Grizzlies from ACL Rockies.
	08/08/2022	SS Ryan Ritter assigned to ACL Rockies.
	08/07/2022	Colorado Rockies signed SS Ryan Ritter.