Richard Fitts Bio
Richard Logan Fitts is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox. A graduate of Helena High School in Alabama, Fitts played college baseball at Auburn University before being selected by the New York Yankees in the 2021 MLB Draft. He earned the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year Award in 2023 and made his major league debut with the Red Sox in 2024.
Early Life and Background
Richard Logan Fitts was born on December 17, 1999, in Helena, Alabama. He grew up in the same small community and attended Helena High School, where he developed into one of the top pitching prospects in the state. As a senior, Fitts posted a 6–5 win–loss record with a 1.68 earned run average (ERA) and 102 strikeouts in 74 and two-thirds innings pitched, drawing attention from college recruiters and professional scouts.
Following high school, Fitts enrolled at Auburn University to play college baseball for the Auburn Tigers. The program gave him the chance to compete at a high level in the Southeastern Conference, one of the most competitive conferences in college baseball. His time at Auburn laid the foundation for his professional career, both in terms of physical development and exposure to advanced coaching.
Path to Baseball
Fitts began seeing more consistent playing time toward the end of his 2019 freshman season and appeared twice in the College World Series. He finished the year with a 5.31 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 62 and two-thirds innings pitched. The shortened 2020 season, cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, saw him make six appearances as a sophomore, going 1–0 with a 2.77 ERA and 16 strikeouts.
Entering his junior season, Fitts landed on the watchlist for the Golden Spikes Award, which is given annually to the top amateur baseball player in the United States. He finished that year with a 1–3 record, a 5.88 ERA, and 41 strikeouts over 41 and one-third innings. That summer, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League, one of the premier wooden-bat leagues in the country. His strong performance across college and summer ball helped position him as a top prospect heading into the 2021 MLB Draft.
Richard Fitts Career
Early Career (2022)
The New York Yankees selected Richard Logan Fitts in the sixth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the organization and made his professional debut in 2022 with the Single–A Tampa Tarpons. After pitching to a 5.01 ERA in 17 starts in the Florida State League, the Yankees promoted him to the High–A Hudson Valley Renegades, where he dominated with a 0.55 ERA across five starts.
The 2022 season gave Fitts his first full year of professional experience and confirmed his potential as a starting pitcher. The late-season promotion to High–A served as a launching point into a much bigger 2023 campaign, where he would face stiffer competition in the upper levels of the Yankees system.
Double–A Breakthrough and Eastern League Award (2023)
Fitts began the 2023 season in the Yankees organization and emerged as one of the top pitchers in the minor leagues. He won the 2023 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year Award with the Double–A Somerset Patriots after logging an 11–5 record and a 3.48 ERA with 163 strikeouts across 27 starts. That kind of workload, paired with high strikeout totals, established him as one of the most promising arms in New York’s farm system.
Boston Red Sox Era (2024–2025)
On December 5, 2023, the New York Yankees traded Fitts, Greg Weissert, and Nicholas Judice to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Alex Verdugo. Entering the 2024 season, he was ranked as the Red Sox’ number 11 minor-league prospect by Baseball America. He began the year with the Triple–A Worcester Red Sox, compiling a 9–5 record and a 4.17 ERA with 111 strikeouts over 24 games, including 23 starts.
On September 8, 2024, Fitts was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made four starts for Boston during his rookie campaign, posting an 0-1 record and a 1.74 ERA with nine strikeouts across 20 and two-thirds innings pitched. On July 7, 2025, Fitts recorded his first career win, allowing two runs over five and two-thirds innings against the Colorado Rockies. He made 11 appearances, including 10 starts, for Boston, logging a 2-4 record and a 5.00 ERA with 40 strikeouts over 45 innings of work.
St. Louis Cardinals Era (2025–Present)
On November 25, 2025, the Red Sox traded Fitts, Brandon Clarke, and a player to be named later or cash to the St. Louis Cardinals for Sonny Gray and cash considerations. The trade gave Fitts a fresh start in the National League Central. He joined a Cardinals organization looking to add young, controllable arms to its pitching staff.
Driving Style and Strengths
Fitts has built his reputation around a strong strikeout rate and the ability to miss bats at every level of professional baseball. His minor league numbers, including 163 strikeouts in 2023 and 111 in 2024, suggest a power-pitching profile that translates well against advanced hitters. The transition from a high-strikeout Double–A arm to a major league starter has given him the chance to refine his command and develop a more complete pitching repertoire.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the signature moments of Fitts’ early career came when he was named the 2023 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year with the Somerset Patriots, recognizing his dominance in the Double–A circuit. His major league debut on September 8, 2024, marked another milestone, and his first career win on July 7, 2025, against the Colorado Rockies represented his first official decision in the big leagues. Each of these steps has shaped his rise from a sixth-round draft pick to a major league starter.
Richard Fitts Career Wins
Richard Logan Fitts has accumulated wins across multiple minor league levels and recorded his first major league victory in 2025. His professional win total is anchored by an 11-win season at Double–A Somerset in 2023 and a 9-win campaign at Triple–A Worcester in 2024. His first MLB win came on July 7, 2025, while pitching for the Boston Red Sox.
Minor League Highlights
In 2023, Fitts won 11 games with the Double–A Somerset Patriots on the way to the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year Award. The following year, he went 9–5 with the Triple–A Worcester Red Sox in 2024, earning a midseason ranking as Boston’s number 11 prospect before reaching the majors.
Major League Highlights
Fitts’ first career win in MLB came on July 7, 2025, when he allowed two runs over five and two-thirds innings against the Colorado Rockies. The victory signaled his arrival as a major league starter after years of development in the Yankees and Red Sox systems.
Richard Fitts Family
Family Background and Roots
Richard Logan Fitts grew up in Helena, Alabama, a small community south of Birmingham. He attended Helena High School, where he starred as a pitcher and built the foundation of his baseball career. His Alabama roots and family support in the Helena area have remained a consistent part of his story as he has moved through professional baseball.
Personal Life
Fitts is known to keep his personal life largely private, and public details about a spouse or children are not confirmed in available sources. His social media presence, including his verified Instagram account, has offered fans a window into his professional journey and training, rather than his private family life.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a turning point in Richard Logan Fitts’ career, beginning with his first major league win on July 7, 2025, against the Colorado Rockies. He went on to make 11 appearances for the Red Sox, including 10 starts, finishing his Boston tenure with a 2-4 record, a 5.00 ERA, and 40 strikeouts across 45 innings. The experience gave him a full major league season of starts and helped him adjust to life as a big league starter.
On November 25, 2025, the Red Sox traded Fitts to the St. Louis Cardinals, marking the start of a new chapter in his career. The move to St. Louis placed him in a National League organization known for developing pitching talent. Coming off a season in which he recorded his first major league win and adjusted to a starting role, Fitts now enters the Cardinals’ system with a clear path to a rotation spot.