Ryan
Ritter

Defensively, it's always a good look at college baseball's top fielding shortstop. With ultra-smooth actions, soft hands and plus range in all directions Ritter makes all the plays. He also has a rifle for an arm and a quick field to throw transfer. With it comes very good carry. It's easy to envision him commanding the shortstop position in the Major Leagues for many years. Offensively, Ritter does not possess a natural stroke, but has learned to make all the parts work together. With that stated, I was hoping for even more improvement since my look in the Cape last summer when he had good rhythm, better balance and a little more bat speed. He’s never had an explosive trigger, but with a near dead start his hands were slower to contact. His swing was also uphill, especially on Saturday with too much weight on his backside. The lack of weight transfer may have been due to a steady diet of breaking pitches he saw on Friday evening. Nine of the 16 pitches he saw in the series opener were breaking balls of some variety. Saturday he saw more fastballs and staying back on the pitch wasn’t the solution. Sunday was his best day at the plate with a hard lineout his first at-bat followed by a bases-clearing, three RBI triple and ending with a hard hit Sac Fly (103 mph EV). Ritter finished the series 2-for-11 with five RBI. 

At 6-foot-2, 180 pounds and batting and throwing from the right side he reminds of Alika Williams (Arizona State), who was the 37th overall pick in the 2020 draft. Like Ritter, Williams was also known as a defense-first shortstop with soft hands and excellent body control. Ritter has more arm strength of the two and their speed is similar with neither being impact burners, but both having enough to steal double digit bags each year at the pro level. However, Williams controlled the strike zone to a much greater extent than Ritter. A high strikeout rate (23% in 2021, 24.8% so far in 2022) and struggles with the breaking ball hinders Ritter’s draft resume.

This season there are a handful of college shortstops who project more in the batter’s box than Ritter, including Brooks Lee (Cal Poly), Zach Neto (Campbell), Eric Brown (Coastal Carolina), and to some extent Carter Young (Vanderbilt) and Trey Faltine (Texas), but none project better to remain at shortstop at the pro level. Ritter is the top college defensive shortstop in the country. Sorry Longhorn fans, Faltine is very, very good, but he is a sliver-close second to Ritter.

Overall, the 2022 draft looks to be weak on college shortstops and far short of 2019 when five college shortstops were selected in the first round (Stott, Wilson, Shewmake, Jones, Davidson) and four more in the second. When there’s a shortage, history (supply-demand) shows that prospects like Ritter, as long as they are “signable”, will move up draft boards. In our Top 250 preseason rankings we had Ritter ranked as the 36th overall college prospect which equates to mid-second round. Despite the current concerns in the batter’s box, he is still likely to be selected in this range, especially after showing aptitude and improvement every year of his college career and a strong 2021 Cape showing with a .330/.431/.429 slash with 14 walks and 25 strikeouts in 91 at-bats which easily tops Alika Williams’ two year Cape slash of .262/.323/.345 with seven walks and 17 strikeouts in 84 at-bats.

Cape Cod- Ultra smooth defender who continues to improve in every phase of the game, but especially with his arm strength and the ability to drive the baseball. A top prospect for some, and too much projection for others, out of an Illinois junior college, Ritter put together a strong sophomore season for the Wildcats this past spring with a .275/.323/.365 slash. He's just an average runner, but he's a game changer on defense with plus range, elite hands and an ever-improving 65-grade arm. His rifle is accurate from all angles and distances. He can go get outfield bloopers with over the shoulder catches or make acrobatic pivots to complete the DP. If that's not enough, watch him make an on the move on-line relay throw to home plate from behind second base. His body control is tremendous and it's easy to envision him winning Gold Gloves at the professional level. Obviously, his bat is the key to how high he will be selected, but it too, continues to improve. He does not possess a natural stroke, but has learned to make all the parts work together for increasingly consistent contact. His .330 Cape batting average is the latest evidence of his hard work and improvements. With continued progress with the bat, look for Ritter to be selected on Day One next summer.

6’2” 190. Lean, live, athletic body. Very good first step quickness with live actions. Great feet and ability to move. Covers a lot of ground. Plus arm with quick release and plenty of carry. Plus defender who has all the tools and abilities defensively to play SS at ML level. Has some bat speed at the plate with some pop. Not overmatched by high velocity. See as an everyday SS at ML level who may be a gold glove defender. Top round guy for 2022 draft.

The No. 7- ranked JUCO prospect from 2020 continues to progress with the Wildcats. With superior actions, soft hands and average arm strength Ritter is already one of the top defensive shortstops in the college game. He has above average range in all directions and most impressive to my eyes is his ability to play low on the dirt, despite his long legs. The right handed hitter is a little steep getting into the hitting zone, and in my opinion could use a bit more hand load to start, but he is balanced in the box and long through the zone. Ritter will likely never have a plethora of bat speed, but what he does have, he makes work. Overall, the needle continues to point up for the second year freshman transfer from John A. Logan JC (Ill.) who is currently sitting at .324/.380/.408 through his first 84 Division I plate appearances.

As a one and done junior college freshman who will transfer to Kentucky this fall, Ritter continues to be one to keep an eye on. This latest evaluation certainly wasn’t the best look at his bat, but it was a look and when you combine numerous evaluations the picture becomes much clearer. At this point, Ritter is an elite defender with great actions, super soft hands, good range and just enough arm strength to complete plays at shortstop. He has above average speed underway and is a heads up base runner, but it has not transferred into stolen bases at this point; he has just one this summer. A streaky hitter, he scuffled at the plate during my look, dipping on his backside, dropping his head and swinging under the ball. He’s not a natural hitter, but with average bat speed, improving balance and aggressiveness, he has a chance to develop into an offensive threat in the SEC this spring. Still physically maturing, Ritter simply needs to keep playing and getting stronger. Despite a current .259/.385/.318 slash with just six extra base hits in 85 at-bats, Ritter has a knack for the clutch hit and RBI, currently 5th on the team with 19 this summer.

2020 DRAFT: The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Ritter is a plus runner underway with average arm strength and elite body control. Defensively, he shows smooth, easy actions and super soft, sure hands. His feeds to the 2-bag are impeccable from all angles to start the DP. His natural throwing motion has a little length as he drops his back shoulder before release to get a little extra on his throw, but he's able to shorten up for a quicker release when needed. At the plate, his swing is loose and his hand-eye coordination and pitch recognition skills are solid. He also showed more bat speed as last fall progressed, as well as an improved swing path, staying through the baseball more consistently. Overall, the 33rd round draft pick of the Cubs in 2019 looks very likely to go off the board much earlier in 2020, although his commitment to Kentucky could cloud that picture.

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Ritter is an above average runner underway with average arm strength and elite body control. Defensively, he shows smooth, easy actions and super soft, sure hands. His throwing motion has a little length as he drops his back shoulder before release to get a little extra on his throw, but he’s able to shorten up for a quicker release when needed. At the plate, the swing is loose and his hand-eye coordination and pitch recognition skills are solid. He also showed more bat speed as the fall progressed, as well as an improved swing path, staying through the baseball more consistently. Early round prospect for 2020.

After striking out in his first at-bat of the Puma Classic, the 6-foot-1, 170 pound Ritter then reached base six consecutive times, four via base hits, one walk and one hit by pitch. He also stole two bases on the day. He's a plus runner underway with average arm strength and elite body control. Defensively, he shows smooth, easy actions and super soft, sure hands. His feeds to the 2-bag are impeccable from all angles to start the DP. His throwing motion has a little length as he drops his back shoulder before release to get a little extra on his throw, but he’s able to shorten up for a quicker release when needed. At the plate, he tends to drift to the ball, causing his foot to get down late and forcing him to rush his swing at times. However, the swing is loose and his hand-eye coordination and pitch recognition skills are solid. Overall, Ritter has the tools and athleticism to be an early Day Two selection this summer. A 33rd round draft pick of the Cubs in 2019 looks very likely to go off the board much earlier in 2020. (Seifert)

Decommitted from Austin Peay and committed to John A. Logan JC.

Austin Peay commit, currently ranked No. 20 in the Illinois’ 2019 class. 6-foot-1, 165-pound, long, athletically built shortstop; continues to add quality strength. Advanced defensive actions, plays with moxy, soft sure-hands, clean release and loose arm. Only shows off his above-average arm strength when needed. Will often opt to drop down and throw from low slot when on the move. Natural at starting or finishing the double play turn. Smooth and quick release coming across the bag. Offensively, continues to make strides in the right direction. Loose swing, bat speed is present. Aggressive approach, will attack early in the count and look to drive the baseball. Finished 1-for-3 with a hustle double into the right center field gap. Thought two out of the box, tight turn around first base, no hesitation. High-level 2019 prospect, who is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. Should be one to keep an eye on in the coming years. 

Austin Peay commit. 6-foot-1, 165-pound, high-waisted, athletically-built, infielder with plenty of room for continued physical development. Defensively, loose, athletic actions, plays with bounce and occasional flair on the infield. Soft, confident hands, could play anywhere on the infield and clean, quick transfer. Loose arm, can throw from multiple angles. Right-handed hitter, continues to ascend with the bat. Flat path, stays through the hitting zone and flashes quick twitch. Line-drive approach, developing gap-to-gap power. Singled hard right back up the middle, was 4.62 on the turn.

Currently ranked No. 52 in the Illinois’ 2019 class. 6-foot-1, 160-pound, athletically-built, high-waisted with plenty of room for continued physical development. Continues to prove he is one of the top uncommitted position players in the state. Took quality at-bats all game long. Confident, comfortable look in the box, hits with rhythm and selective aggression. Present bat speed, loose hands, present gap power; could develop into pull-side power with added strength. Finished the day 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a stolen base. Defensively, has the hands and arm strength to stay at shortstop. Smooth, athletic actions, quick transfer, can play on the move and throw from multiple angles. Foot speed and range will be the determining factor if he can stay at shortstop at the next level.

Six-foot-1, 160-pound, lean, wiry, projectable, right-handed hitting middle infielder. One of the top uncommitted middle infielders in the 2019 class. Highly-athletic defensive actions, quick, fluid footwork, ranges well to both sides. Soft, sure hands, ultra-quick release at times. Loose, athletic arm action, ability to throw from multiple angles, throws carry and topped at 87 mph across the diamond. At the plate, balanced, open relaxed setup, smooth load, short stride and maintains balance through contact. Fluid rhythm, loose, athletic hands, creates bat speed, gap-to-gap approach and 80 mph exit velocity from a tee. 7.08 runner in the 60, laser-timed.

Six-foot, 155-pound, long and lean, projectable middle infielder. Advanced defensive actions and hands. Confident defender, makes it look easy at times, plays well on the move; maintains body control, ability to throw from multiple angles, can get rid of it in a hurry when he wants to and accurate across the diamond. Offensively, right-handed hitter, athletic setup. Path works uphill, some looseness to hands. One of the top available middle infielders in the 2019 class.