Bainbridge baseball star JR Ritchie riding million-dollar arm

Bainbridge High School senior JR Ritchie seems destined to go where few baseball players from the state of Washington have gone before.

According to Baseball America's Major League Baseball draft database, there have been 15 high school/college pitchers from the state of Washington selected in the first round since 1965.

One of those pitchers has ties to Kitsap County: North Kitsap's Aaron Sele, who played collegiately at Washington State University, went 23rd to the Boston Red Sox in 1991 and saw his MLB career last from 1993-2007.

Current Seattle Mariners pitcher Marco Gonzalez went 19th overall to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013. He played at Gonzaga University. Other first-round pitchers Josh Sale, Tim Lincecum and Jeremy Bonderman found success in the big leagues.

The highest draft pick of the bunch — left-handed pitcher Mike Lentz of Juanita High School — went second overall to the San Diego Padres in 1975. He earned a signing bonus of $58,000, but never made it to the Majors.

Ritchie, whose Spartans improved to 12-1 Friday night with a 11-0, five-inning victory over Central Kitsap, could be looking at a seven-figure signing bonus this June as a right-handed pitcher who plenty of teams are giving a first-round grade.

"He’s in the conversation of being in the top 15 picks," said Bainbridge head coach Geoff Brown, who pitched for the University of Washington and spent time in the Los Angeles Dodgers' minor league system.

Although first-round picks typically sign contracts to trigger the beginning of their professional careers, Ritchie will have options as a high school player. He's committed to UCLA, so he could opt to play college ball with the goal of improving and becoming draft eligible again as a college junior and/or senior.

Ritchie, who is 4-0 with a 0.00 earned run average so far this spring, could also bypass college. Finances will be part of the decision — during the 2021 MLB draft, no player selected in the first round received a signing bonus under $1.7 million. Almost every player selected in the top 15 signed for $4 million or more.

“If there’s a right fit, a right opportunity for me, it’s hard to pass up those type of opportunities that only come once in a lifetime," Ritchie said. "It’s totally up in the air. Right now, I'm really taking it day by day and not getting ahead of myself.”

As a kid who grew up playing multiple sports, Ritchie viewed himself as a shortstop and occasional pitcher when he first began his high school baseball career. Then he started hitting 90 miles per hour on the radar gun as a ninth-grader and everything changed.

Ritchie began working with a pitching coach, Kevin Gunderson in Portland, and improving his arsenal, which includes a four-seam fastball that has reached 98 mph this spring, as well as a slider and changeup. He also throws a two-seam fastball and an occasional curveball.

“I used to be a shortstop who also pitched. Now it’s, 'I pitch, but I also play shortstop,'" Ritchie said. "It’s definitely changed my life.”

As a junior, Ritchie led Bainbridge to the Olympic League North Division title with a 6-0 record, 0.38 earned run average and 54 strikeouts in 23.2 innings. He pitched a no-hitter against Central Kitsap in the division title game and eventually earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors for Washington.

This spring, Ritchie appears even stronger. He's maintained a weight-lifting routine two-to-three times per week and said an altered diet has resulted in more energy and endurance.

“I took a blood test back in November and learned I’m actually allergic to dairy," said Ritchie, who no longer consumes milk or cheese and prioritizes leafy greens over junk food and candy. "I definitely starting taking care of my diet and I’m seeing it on the field. My energy level is a lot higher. Even after the game, I feel good right now. If this was last year, I’d be exhausted, I’d be ready to go home and take a nap.”

Ritchie has been putting batters to sleep with regularity this spring. He tossed no-hitter in his first start against Lincoln this spring and has allowed only six hits in 18 and a 1/3 innings. Perhaps even more impressive than his 40 strikeouts is that Ritchie has yet to issue a walk.

A power pitcher with pinpoint control?

“I’m probably most proud of that," said Ritchie, who is also batting .470 with 17 RBI. "I take pride in being able to pound the zone and throw strikes and get ahead.”

The same goes for Bainbridge's pitching staff as a whole. Left-handed senior Zach Duffy threw tons of strikes against Central Kitsap while tossing a five-inning shutout in only his second start.

“We really preach pounding the strike zone, forcing teams to put the ball in play," Brown said. "When you do that and you don’t give free baserunners, it makes it hard for other teams to beat us.”

With Bainbridge looking like a serious postseason contender, Ritchie said his top priority right now isn't worrying about where he'll be pitching after graduation, whether it's UCLA or the pros. He's interested in seeing the Spartans get a chance to compete for a Class 3A championship — something they didn't get to play for last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The No. 1 goal is to win a state title," Ritchie said. "If we win a state title, I’ll feel happy with what I’ve done.”

Goal No. 2 for Ritchie: create memories and soak in every moment he can with his teammates.

One of those moments came after a road game against Chief Sealth in late March. The Spartans found themselves singing "Sweet Home Alabama" on the bus while returning home, and that's when it dawned on Bainbridge's bright star.

"Wow," Ritchie said. "I don't have many of these left."

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Bainbridge baseball star JR Ritchie has a chance to turn to MLB