After a strong two months in Triple-A, the Rockies officially selected Ryan Ritter’s contract on June 6. Ritter, a former Day 2 pick, was one of the top players in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) before his promotion. The 24-year-old led the PCL in OPS and was tied for second in home runs before moving north to Colorado.
A Look at Ritter
The Rockies drafted Ryan Ritter in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft, as somewhat of an interesting pick. A 33rd-round pick by the Cubs in 2019, Ritter transferred to Kentucky from community college in 2020 and never hit higher than .283 in his two seasons with the Wildcats.
However, Ritter was lauded for his glove. Ritter only committed 12 errors during his two seasons in Lexington. Not to mention, he flashed good speed on the basepaths as well, with 23 stolen bases between 2021-22.
The one thing about Ritter is that he was able to hit for power at UK, as the now-24-year-old cracked five home runs (eight overall) in a very pitcher-friendly ballpark down in Lexington that year. It was a harbinger of things to come for the Rockies infielder.
Ritter hit 24 home runs in his first full season of pro ball, 18 of which came in the hitter-friendly California League. Those numbers stabilized once he got out of friendlier hitting environments, particularly in 2024, as Ritter posted a .133 ISO in Hartford (AA).
He’s spent all of 2025 with the Isotopes and thrived. Ritter slashed .305/.413/.635 (1.048 OPS) across 52 games before getting the call.
As of June 6, Ritter was tied with Jorge Alfaro, as well as prospects Jonathan Long & Samuel Basallo, for the sixth-most barrels (20 in Triple-A).
There’s loft in Ritter’s game, as the 24-year-old was able to make the most of his time in Albuquerque. Yes, the hitter-friendly environment helped him out. However, he’ll be playing in a hitter-friendly environment in Colorado, something one would hope he can make use of.
With a pull-heavy approach — Ritter pulled in-play balls nearly 42% of the time in Triple-A — it might work.
Defensively, Ritter played mostly at shortstop over his pro career. He’s only seen a handful of games — 14 to be exact — at second, and one at third.
The Rockies officially selected Ryan Ritter’s contract on June 6.
Analysis
Ritter’s promotion came amidst a flurry of moves made by the Rockies. Colorado placed Ezequiel Tovar on the IL yet again, this time with an oblique strain. The Rockies also brought back Braxton Fulford and released catcher Jacob Stallings.
Colorado’s given a lot of young players a hefty look this season. Zac Veen was promoted earlier this season, while Adael Amador played 33 games this season for the Rockies. Neither performed well, particularly Amador, who posted a .465 OPS this season.
Ritter is the next to get his change, and why not? The former Kentucky shortstop performed to the point where one had to question what he had left to prove in Triple-A.
The 24-year-old does have his flaws; Ritter struck a lot in 2023, and that’s something to watch, although his whiff numbers weren’t terrible down in Triple-A. There is some chase in his game but in Triple-A, that wasn’t a big concern on paper (25.6%), either.
But with Tovar out and amid a heavy rebuild, Ritter — a toolsy player — should get a lengthy look.
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