Jr Ritchie Set for First Home Start Against Tigers
jr ritchie is set for his first MLB home start Wednesday at Truist Park, and the Braves will hand the 22-year-old another chance to hold a rotation spot after his debut win in Washington. He will face the Tigers in his second career MLB start.
Ritchie at Truist Park
Ritchie said Tuesday at Truist Park that big-league hitters are really good, then described how Atlanta mapped out his next outing. "Got back to Atlanta, they pulled me in, they said, ‘Hey, we want to use you against Detroit. We’re not really sure how, but we’re gonna figure it out,’" he said. "Hey, want you to start on Wednesday."
That assignment comes after he beat the Nationals in his MLB debut last week at Nationals Park, allowing two runs in seven innings. He did enough there to keep the Braves looking at him as more than a short-term fill-in.
Weiss on the Braves arm
Manager Walt Weiss said Ritchie "has the makings of a starter" long term. Weiss also called him "a sharp kid" with "a really good feel for a kid his age" and added that his "baseball IQ" and composure have been impressive for a 22-year-old. He said, "He’s got the weapons for left-handed hitters, right-handed hitters. He’s got the mentality, the composure, the aptitude, all those things."
Ritchie reached this point fast. The Braves selected him No. 35 overall in the first round of the 2022 MLB draft, and he has pitched in 53 games as a professional. In 2025, he made 11 starts for Triple-A Gwinnett, struck out 11 batters in one outing and threw scoreless baseball in five outings.
Gwinnett, Baldwin, Detroit
Drake Baldwin had already seen him up close, catching Ritchie for three games with the Single-A Augusta GreenJackets in 2022. Baldwin said, "He threw a bunch of strikes and he had good stuff. He had a completely different arsenal when I caught him our first year in the minor leagues, but he just had the poise on the mound that looked like a big leaguer and kind of knew it was gonna happen from way back then. He’s been doing it ever since."
The Braves’ rotation has been in flux with Reynaldo López temporarily moved to the bullpen and Spencer Strider still returning from the injured list. That opens the door for Ritchie to keep pitching in the majors if he backs up his first start with another clean outing against Detroit.
