JR Ritchie

Ian Ritchie

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 185 lb.
• High School Bainbridge (WA) High School
• Debut April 23, 2026

• Born June 26, 2003 in Seattle, WA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher JR Ritchie was selected by the Atlanta Braves in Competitive Balance Round A in the 2022 amateur draft, with the 35th overall pick. That pick was obtained in a trade with the Kansas City Royals whose main protagonist was OF Drew Waters. Ritchie was coming out of a high school in Bainbridge Island, WA. He signed for a bonus of $2.4 million, which was above slot value.

He made his professional debut the year he was drafted with the FCL Braves, then was promoted to the Augusta GreenJackets of the Carolina League. He went 0-0, 1.88 in 5 games and 14 1/3 innings. In 2023, he made 4 starts with Augusta, going 0-1,5.40, but was mainly injured as his last appearance was on May 6th. He eventually had to undergo Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in June of 2024, playing first with the FCL Braves. He was then promoted to Augusta and eventually to the Rome Emperors of the South Atlantic League. His overall record was 2-5, 2.90 in 12 games, 11 of them starts. He pitched 49 2/3 innings and stuck out 56 batters.

He finally got the opportunity to take a regular turn as a starting pitcher in 2025, first with Rome for 7 starts, then with the AA Columbus Clingstones and finally with the AAA Gwinnett Stripers. His dominating starts in Rome were largely responsible for his getting named to play for the National League in front of his future hometown fans at the 2025 Futures Game. His combined record between the three stops was 8-6, 2.64 in 26 games. He pitched a career high 140 innings after not even reaching 50 in any prior professional season and struck out 140 batters.

He started the 2026 season in Gwinnett, where he was dominant, going 3-1, 0.99 in his first five starts. He was called up to Atlanta on April 23rd to make his debut against the Washington Nationals in the nation's capital the same day. Things did not start as he would have liked, as he gave up a homer to the first batter he faced, James Wood, on his very first pitch no less, but he settled down quickly. He pitched seven innings, allowing just two runs - the other came on another solo homer, by C.J. Abrams in the 4th - and he received credit for the Braves' 7-2 win.

Further Reading

• Mark Bowman: "First pitch HR? No prob! Braves prospect Ritchie shakes it off for historic debut win", mlb.com, April 23, 2026. [1]

Related Sites

• JR Rotchie on mlb.com
• BR Minors page