There weren’t many big-name prospects promoted on September 1 this season. However, the Boston Red Sox opted to call up one of their best pitching prospects, Richard Fitts, for his MLB debut on September 8 against the White Sox. Fitts gets the call amidst a strong stretch for the 24-year-old righty.
A Look at Fitts
The Yankees selected Richard Fitts two years ago in the sixth round out of Auburn. He’s steadily risen to be a viable starting pitcher prospect. Last year with Somerset (AA), Fitts took off, as he struck out 163 over 152.2 IP with the Patriots and owned a solid 1.14 WHIP.
New York (AL) traded Fitts, Nicholas Judice, and Greg Weissert to the rival Red Sox this past winter, in the deal that sent Alex Verdugo to The Bronx. While Weissert’s been a good reliever for Boston this season, Fitts was the big name going back to the Sox.
Fitts gave up a lot of contact in Triple-A, despite the fact he’s a power guy who can run his four-seamer up to the mid-90s, up to 96 MPH. Opposing batters hit .253 off Fitts with Worcester (AAA) this season and his K/9 dipped to 8.6, down from 9.6 in Double-A.
Still, there’s a lot of swing-and-miss in Fitts’ profile. He can pound hitters up with that four-seamer and Fitts was able to get misses, even with two strikes, high and out of the zone. That was evident in the clip below, where he blew a fastball right by a rehabbing Luis Robert Jr.
Fitts will also operate with a cut fastball that looks similar to a slider, a mid-80s changeup, and a slower slider in the low-80s. His fastball is likely the best pitch out of the bunch.
Richard Fitts will make his Red Sox debut on September 8. His callup comes amidst a hot stretch for Fitts, one which saw him post quality starts in five of his last six outings. There’s #3 starter upside with Fitts.
Analysis
The Sox aren’t out of the hunt by any stretch, as Boston entered play on September 8 four games out of the last AL Wild Card spot. Fitts’ call-up serves as a chance for him to get his feet wet after a strong stretch in Triple-A and give their rotation rest.
But more importantly for Fitts, his promotion also serves as a chance to make a statement for 2025. Almost all of Boston’s rotation is locked up for 2025, except for Nick Pivetta. Should Pivetta not return for next season, Fitts can make himself a viable option heading into the offseason.
Fantasy Outlook
Fitts is a good streaming candidate for his debut against the White Sox but one thing to watch over the last few weeks is how much rope the Sox will give him and how Boston uses him. He possesses good stuff but the Sox do have a healthy five-man rotation between Kutter Crawford, Cooper Criswell, Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, and Nick Pivetta.