CINCINNATI -- Rookie shortstop Ryan Ritter (Colorado's No. 11 prospect) is getting an opportunity to show what he can do at the Major League level with Ezequiel Tovar on the injured list. On Saturday afternoon, Ritter checked a significant career milestone off his list at Great American Ball Park.
With one out and Yanquiel Fernández on first in the third inning, Ritter launched a pitch from Reds right-hander Brady Singer toward the left field stands. It was deep enough; the only question was if it would stay fair.
“Once I saw it was going to stay fair, I had a nice little deep breath after that,” Ritter said. “It’s been a while, but I knew I got it.”
Ritter’s first career home run came on a 2-0 cutter from Singer and sailed a Statcast-projected 354 feet to put the Rockies ahead 2-1 in a game they would eventually lose, 4-3, when the Reds rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Following the game, Ritter exchanged a bat and ball with the fan who retrieved his home run. He’s not sure what he’ll do with the ball.
“One day I’ll have a man cave,” he said.
Ritter, 24, is filling in at shortstop for Tovar, who’s on the IL with a left oblique strain but is expected to return following the All-Star break.
Ritter is batting .228 in 28 games with three doubles, two triples, a homer and 11 RBIs.
“Happy for Ritt,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “You always like to see the first one get out of the way. I like everything Ritt does. The way he goes about his defensive work all day. The way he prepares for the game offensively. His study. The way he plays the game hard. All that stuff is going to pay dividends in the long run.”
Ritter made his Major League debut on June 6 and collected his first career hit, a triple, in that game. He is the first player in franchise history to triple in his first career game.
In fact, he had two triples before he got his first career homer.
“Triples are hard to get,” Ritter said, laughing. “Homers, you’d think I’d run into a ball before that.”
Ritter was selected by Colorado in the fourth round of the 2022 Draft out of the University of Kentucky. His coach at UK, Nick Mingione, was at the ballpark on Saturday. He and Ritter spoke before the game. Ritter, who grew up in the Chicago suburb of Evergreen Park, also had several friends on hand.
Tovar is rehabbing at Triple-A, but Ritter says he’s not thinking about what that could mean for him.
“I just go about my work day by day,” Ritter said. "Making some adjustments to the game. Getting comfortable with the guys in the clubhouse. After that, it’s just baseball. Just keep getting better.”