JR Ritchie shines in NL’s 4-2 Futures Game win

Ritchie got the start and struck out two

The 2025 version of the Futures Game officially wrapped at Truist Park, and the National League came out on top thanks to stellar pitching and a massive home run from Dodgers prospect and eventual Futures Game MVP Josue De Paula. The Atlanta Braves made their contribution with two impressive pitching outings, starting with JR Ritchie who got the start in the game for the National League. While Ritchie was a bit wild, his raw stuff was impressive and he came out firing and averaged 95.8 mph on his fastball. Ritchie was certainly amped up, this is not his normal velocity in starts, but after a leadoff walk he was able to nip the corner with 97 for his first of two strikeouts. His second came on a nasty sweeper off of the plate, which Jhostynxon Garcia (BOS) went fishing for to end the inning. Most impressive though was Ritchie’s changeup, which he used frequently and which showed an impressive shave and 10 mph velocity gap with his fastball. Ritchie showed yet again that he has the pure stuff to be a big league pitcher right now, and with the Braves plugging in arm after arm there is still a chance he debuts sometime in 2025. Hayden Harris didn’t get much run, only facing one hitter and throwing five pitches, but he did his thing and got two whiffs on his fastball to strike that batter out.

Both sides were locked in a pitchers duel early, but in the third inning the bats started to wake and it was the American league side who held the advantage. The Marlins Thomas White gave up a walk, and a comebacker from Detroit’s Max Clark went for an infield hit to put runners on the corners with one out. White was able to limit damage, but an RBI ground out by Braden Montgomery (CWS) put the AL on top early. In the fourth inning they extended the lead with the help of another Tigers prospect Josue Briceno. Briceno clanged a fly ball off of the wall in right field, and the defender, inexperienced with the high wall, misplayed it allowing Briceno to chug around for a triple. He would score on Sebastian Walcott’s (TEX) sacrifice fly, and with the game halfway in the books the National League found themselves facing a 2-0 deficit.

In the fourth inning much of the lineup flipped for the teams, and Noah Schultz of the White Sox came in to face the National League and try and keep the shutout going. Zyhir Hope (LAD) snuck a leadoff single through off of Schultz, and the National League suddenly exploded to a huge inning. Jesus Made (MIL) followed up Hope’s hit with one of his won, bringing up De Paula in the biggest chance for the NL in the game. De Paula had a tough left-on-left matchup, but Schultz left a slider that hung in over the inside corner and De Paula was able to smoke one over the high wall in right field for a three run home run. The damage was far from over though, and LuJames Groover of the Diamondbacks followed with a single to make it four straight hits off of Schultz. Schultz was able to get the next two hitters out, but a hard line out from JJ Wetherholt (STL) ended his day and brought Alimber Santa (HOU) in to finish the inning. Santa let up a walk, then a double to Owen Caissie (CHI) that would cap a four run inning.

The American League now had their backs against the wall, and George Lombard Jr. (NYY) led off in the fifth inning to give them some immediate firepower. However, Trent Harris (SFG) carved up the lineup, striking out two batters on his way to shutting down the threat. A double play in the sixth inning quieted another threat with a baserunner, and in the seventh and final inning Carson Whisenhunt (SFG) had the task of closing the game down. Whisenhunt looked sharp, striking out a batter before getting two fly outs to finish out a win for the National League. Slade Caldwell of the Diamondbacks made a terrific diving catch to rob a hit, keeping Whisenhunt out of trouble.