JR Ritchie

Ritchie appears nearly ready to join the big-league rotation in Atlanta, but he'll open the year at Triple-A and await an opportunity. The 22-year-old righty is on the cusp of being a success story as prep righty who underwent Tommy John surgery early in his pro career and went on to have success. Ritchie had the surgery in May 2023 and logged 49.2 strong innings in the lower levels 2024. Last season was his first full year back, and he didn't disappoint, logging a 2.64 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 140:54 K:BB and 49.6 percent groundball rate in 140 innings across High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. Ritchie's K-BB% gradually ticked down after each promotion, which is understandable. His walk rates ticked up over 10 percent at Double-A and Triple-A, but he still suppressed hard contact while missing bats. Ritchie operates with a very deep arsenal, featuring over a half dozen average or better offerings, but he lacks a true plus pitch. He won't turn 23 until June, however, so there's plenty of time for improvements. As things stand, he looks like a high-floor starter who is ready to contribute in the majors. Read Past Outlooks