Finally healthy, No. 8 prospect Ritchie ready to shine at Spring Breakout

This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman¡¯s Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- JR Ritchie¡¯s connection to the Braves actually extends back a decade to his fandom of the great Vanderbilt University teams that included Dansby Swanson.

¡°I started growing my hair out when I was about 15 years old because of Dansby,¡± Ritchie said. ¡°Really, I wanted Dansby¡¯s hair. I didn¡¯t get it. My hair was too curly. It was worth a shot.¡±

Many Atlanta fans will get their first look at Ritchie when he takes the mound for the Braves as they play the Tigers in a Spring Breakout game on Sunday afternoon at CoolToday Park. The 21-year-old hurler will be challenged in this game that pits prospects from both organizations against each other. Detroit has baseball¡¯s top farm system, per MLB Pipeline.

¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to it since they told me about it,¡± said Ritchie, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Atlanta's No. 8 prospect. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it every day. My dad is a high school coach. I told him, ¡®If there is one Minor League game I would tell you to miss to come see, it would be this one.¡¯¡±

Ritchie¡¯s parents are among the many friends and family members traveling from the Seattle area to be present for Sunday¡¯s game. This outing will essentially kick off what could be a big year for the right-hander, who was taken by Atlanta with the 35th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. He underwent Tommy John surgery nine starts into his professional career and is now prepping for what will be his first full unrestricted and healthy season as a pro.

¡°I feel really good,¡± Ritchie said. ¡°I¡¯m happy with where I¡¯m at and with the progress I¡¯ve made, especially after having the offseason. I¡¯m excited to pitch in this game.¡±

Ritchie produced a 2.74 ERA over the combined 11 starts he made at three levels last year. Most of his work was completed as he produced a 1.95 ERA in seven outings (six starts, 32 1/3 innings) for Single-A Augusta. He allowed two runs or fewer over at least five innings in two of the three starts he made after receiving a late-season promotion to High-A Rome.

¡°There were a lot of ups and downs, especially with how I felt,¡± Ritchie said. ¡°There were outings where I felt electric and I had everything working for me. There were other outings where I didn't feel too good, where my arm was sore and I had to work through some stuff. That's just the reality coming back from Tommy John.¡±

There was never reason for Ritchie¡¯s family to worry about him persevering through the mental anguish a Tommy John rehab can bring. They saw their son¡¯s resilience and determination to be on the mound at a young age.

There was that time he was an eight-year-old playing for the Bainbridge Mavericks. He was just three batters into his first game as a pitcher when he took a line drive off his ribcage. He was crying when his dad and other coaches reached the mound. But he refused to leave the game and ended up throwing four scoreless innings.

¡°That was a big stepping stone for me,¡± Ritchie said. ¡°It kind of taught me my work ethic. It gave me the feeling that, if I work really hard at this thing and never cut corners, I can be as good as I want to be.¡±

Ritchie stood just 5-foot-4 as a seventh grader, but he grew seven inches that year and stood 6-foot-1, 150 pounds as a high school freshman. He was throwing a fastball that touched 91 mph and a 78 mph curveball. It was evident he might have a good future. Former Braves farmhand Kevin Gunderson took notice and began training the blossoming hurler.

Ritchie¡¯s sophomore season was cancelled by COVID-19, but he excelled during his final two seasons at Bainbridge High School (Wash.) and received a $2.4 million signing bonus from the Braves. His early childhood love for football led to ¡°Brett Favre¡± being two of the earliest words he ever uttered. But the opportunity to pitch Sunday stands as the latest proof that he was wise to follow the passion he gained while emulating Mariners legend F¨¦lix Hern¨¢ndez.

Fortunately, that attempt has proven more successful than the one to ¡°have Dansby¡¯s hair.¡±

¡°[The Spring Breakout game] will be a really great experience for me to test myself and see where I¡¯m at,¡± Ritchie said. ¡°It will be a great learning experience.¡±