June 6, 2025 | Eli Whitney
Ryan Ritter’s time has come. The 24-year-old shortstop will join the Rockies in Colorado this weekend as the result of an oblique injury that has landed Ezequiel Tovar on the IL. But don’t get it twisted, Ritter’s debut is not simply a product of injury, but rather that of hard work and an exceptional start to 2025 with the Isotopes in Albuquerque.
Ritter joined the Rockies organization as a fourth-round pick in 2022 following two years at The University of Kentucky. To be quite honest, his collegiate numbers don’t exactly jump off the page. He hit .283 in his final year and topped out at eight home runs, though there was notable raw power in his swing.
While he was an exceptional defender, the development of his offensive game was a point of conversation as he became a professional. Ritter’s swing had holes and his approach was unrefined; quality pro production at the plate seemed unlikely. He put those concerns to rest quickly.
Ritter’s Ascension
In his first professional season in 2023, Ritter posted a slash line of .281/.383/.519 with 24 home runs and 85 RBIs across the Low-A, High-A, and Double-A levels. His rapid ascension made him a prospect that many Rockies fans had on their radar prior to his second season in 2024. He spent the entirety of the year in Hartford and saw slight regression in his offensive numbers as he adjusted to the higher-level pitching.
He didn’t struggle to find his way on base with a .370 OBP but had trouble recreating the power numbers from 2023. Over 91 games, he hit just seven home runs and had a slugging percentage of .403, over 100 points below the mark he had set the year before. Still, his 126 WRC+ showed promise and proved Ritter was going to hit enough to reach the game’s highest level.
Ritter began 2025 in Albuquerque, looking to eventually become a part of the Rockies’ youth movement at the major league level. The beginning of the season looked somewhat similar to his 2024. Through the end of April, Ritter had a modest four home runs and a total of six extra-base hits. While he still managed to get on base, the numbers weren’t the kind that led many to think of an immediate promotion.
Then came May. Ryan Ritter’s month of May is difficult to put into words. At some point, a player’s performance transcends the typical adjectives we use to describe it. Ryan Ritter didn’t just get hot, he was an inferno.
Ritter’s stat line for the month reads like something out of a video game. He posted a .381/.445/.918 slash line, resulting in a monster 1.363 OPS. Along with that, Ritter blasted 12 home runs and drove in 31 runs over the course of the month of May. From May 15th to 27th, Ritter logged 11 consecutive games with an extra-base hit, including two multi-home run games. This stretch led to back-to-back PCL Player of the Week awards for him, before he was inevitably crowned PCL Player of the Month for May.
Ritter was no longer knocking on the door of a potential promotion, but rather kicking it off of its hinges entirely. His promotion to the Rockies provides fans with a reason for optimism in the midst of the worst season in franchise history. As he steps onto the big league stage, Ritter brings the same defense prowess that defined his early career, now paired with a refined offensive approach that has us believing.
While this stint is initially based on Ritter — a quality defensive shortstop — filling in for the Gold Glove caliber Ezequiel Tovar, he will get a chance to earn a permanent role in Colorado’s infield with experience at 2B and 3B. Despite the recent addition of Orlando Arcia and the return of Thairo Estrada from the IL, the Rockies have a chance to show further commitment to a youth movement.
One thing is for sure, Ryan Ritter is ready to make his mark on MLB, and Rockies fans should be ecstatic.
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