River
Ridings

USA CNT TRIALS: Ridings was a key part of TCU’s bullpen as a freshman, posting a 1.08 ERA in 33.1 innings, but his ERA ballooned to 6.96 as a sophomore this past spring, though he still earned 10 saves. His walk rate went up, his strikeout rate went down, and his opponents’ batting average jumped from .182 to .326, so clearly Ridings is in need of a rebound. Ridings has serious funk in his sidearm delivery, starting with an exaggerated shoulder turn and then thrusting his glove way up into the air and opening his body wide in a corkscrew motion. His calling card is a darting 87-89 mph sinker with good arm-side life, but he struggled with his feel for a sweeping 77-80 slider in our two looks this summer.

At 6-foot-2, 170-pounds, Ridings has an athletic, high-waisted, projectable frame. The left-hander works from a ¾ slot with a loose, clean arm swing. His fastball sat mostly 83-85 mph with slight arm side run. His curveball has 1/7 shape at 71-73 mph. The pitch flashed good depth in the bullpen, but had shorter break in the game. Threw one changeup at 74. Battled through a number of defensive miscues and several walks with poise and presence. Put together a really good second inning, including two strikeouts with a runner in scoring position. Ultimately took the loss, but there is a lot to like about this young left-hander. Final line; 2.2 IP, 6 H, 9 R, 3 ER, 5 K, 3 BB.

6-foot-2, 170-pound, projectable, long-limbed frame. The young left-hander works from a high-¾ slot with a slight downward stab after he breaks his hands. Shows some rhythm in his delivery with level shoulders and good balance. Lands slightly open and in-line at foot-strike. His fastball ranged from 78-80 mph with slight run. He showed good feel for his curveball at 72 mph with 2-8 shape. With Ridings projectable frame, look for the freshman to make jumps in velocity as he matures and adds strength.
The switch hitter has good bat speed and strong hands from both sides of the plate. On the right side, he starts from a tall, relaxed stance with his hands set back and away from his body. Easy load and a short stride to create good separation between his upper and lower body. Short hand path through the zone with strength at contact and good extension. From the left side, Ridings has more of a knee-to-knee, low-level leg kick and gets the barrel on plane sooner. He gets good extension through contact with a loose finish. His exit velocity off the tee was 78 mph from the left side. From the right side, his exit velocity was 81 mph. Defensively, Ridings has fluid footwork into his exchanges that allows his body and his arm to work in sequence with good timing. He threw 78 mph from a high ¾, short arm slot with accuracy and carry. Ridings ran an 8.27 60-yard dash.