JR Ritchie's Delivers Electric Day Braves in Latest Outing

"The kid's handled himself really well. He can really spin a ball, and there's some power there, too," manager Walt Weiss said on Friday.

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He's on the radar. Weiss made it clear that if you're in the room and sticking around, you're in play. Ritchie isn't a frontrunner for the rotation. There are some more experienced arms, including some out of options, who are the favorites to start the season in the rotation.

But the door for him to reach the majors this season is wide open. That was the expectation coming into spring training, and he's only built his case.

Ritchie is coming off a big year in the minors that saw him rise from High-A Rome to Triple-A Gwinnett. Last year, in spring training, he was the starting pitcher in the Spring Breakout, a prospect showcase event featuring a team of prospects from each MLB system.

He followed that up with a start in the All-Star Futures Game, and was named Pitcher of the Week in the International League back in September. Ritchie is now a top-100 prospect according to MLB.com and Baseball America.

He's fully confident in his body again, more than a year out from his recovery from Tommy John surgery. It takes time, but he's made it over that hump.

“That’s a big mental block for a lot of guys to get over,” Ritchie said last season. “You can try to baby it and feel like, oh, I don’t want to hurt myself again. Just try to trust it and say, I got a new elbow; it’s good to go.” 

More pitches have been added to his arsenal, which gives him more options to keep hitters guessing.

It's the first week of spring training. The first couple tests are behind him. Of course he still needs to keep it up. We've seen him in two-inning stints so far out of the bullpen. He has to stretch out further.

What we still need to see is him getting a start, as opposed to coming in as a relief arm. He's been in the bullpen to ensure seeing playing time, but that's a key majors step. He's got to see the top bats in the lineup and see the full lineup once through the order. It couldn't hurt to get a second look at the top of the order.

Those tests will come. He got them in the minors. He's going to get them in spring training. It's the only way for the Braves to gauge if he can take that next step. For now, you take the good from what we've seen and await the next challenge. It's nothing he isn't unfamiliar with by this point.

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