The New Guys: Ryan Ritter, Connor Van Scoyoc join Spokane Indians as midseason reinforcements

Jul. 8—Minor league baseball is transient by nature. Players move up and down often and injuries occur all the time — just about every day brings an adjustment to the roster.

Big league organizations want to move prospects through their system and onto the MLB roster as quickly as possible, as players strive to take the next step toward their ultimate goal.

So far this season, the Spokane Indians have seen three of their better players promoted to the next step in their journey, with former Gonzaga pitcher Gabriel Hughes, catcher Braxton Fulford and outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez sent up to Double-A Hartford. It's good for the players, who move one step closer to the major leagues, but it's a blow to the team left behind that missed out on qualifying for the postseason series by just a couple of games in the first half.

Adding to the challenge, top infielder prospect Adael Amador injured his right wrist two weeks ago on a checked swing and was placed on the injured list, with no timetable announced by the parent club for his return.

But the Indians picked up some reinforcements over the past week that will help the club as it fights for the second-half title.

One came via trade, the other by promotion. Both will be welcome additions to a club that has battled the injury bug this season.

The promotion

Shortstop Ryan Ritter was promoted to the Indians from Low-A Fresno at the start of the homestand. He led the California League in home runs (18) and RBIs (58) at the time of his promotion and he hit .305/.405/.606 in 65 games with the Grizzlies.

Ritter was the Rockies fourth round pick in the 2022 MLB draft out of University of Kentucky.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound 22-year-old joked that his favorite subject in high school was gym, and if he wasn't a ballplayer he would probably be trying to make it in some other sport.

"I say let's have fun out there, compete every day," he said after batting practice on Friday at Avista Stadium. "I'm gonna give you my best every day and just keep getting better and keep learning the game and be a competitive player."

He's still adjusting to the new level. In four games he's gone 3 for 18 but he hit his first High-A homer on Thursday, a two-run shot.

"I'm figuring out a routine that works for me here after building a good one in Fresno," he said. "All the boys are really nice so it's a really easy transition. It's been good so far."

Fresno plays in a ballpark that was designed to be a Triple-A stadium with a capacity of 10,650. Playing in a smaller stadium, and especially the way the late afternoon sun bathes the left side of the field at Avista Stadium, has presented challenges as well.

"Fresno was a beautiful ballpark," Ritter said. "But so is this one too. Fresno is a lot bigger, but they bring out a good crowd here too."

Ritter has already developed a pre-game ritual with his double-play partner Nic Kent. It's a quick-flip hand-eye drill from close range to get them ready to go.

"Nic and me, we just started playing catch," he said. "We've been getting a good little routine going before the game."

Ritter said the promotion came as a bit of a surprise.

"Yeah, it's definitely weird. But a nice, you know, fresh restart. It's a new level. Another adjustment, but I'm excited for the challenge."

He was anxious to get the first hit and the first home run out of the way for his new team. Thursday's homer came as part of a six-run eighth inning comeback attempt that fell short.

"It felt good, it felt good. I just love coming to the field and competing. It was last at-bat of the day, I struggled early on in the game but finished strong."

Despite his prodigious power at Low-A, Ritter isn't ranked on MLB.com's list of top prospects in the Rockies system. If the homers keep coming, that might change.

Ritter doesn't pay attention to all of that.

"I'm just worried about competing every day and whatever happens over there takes care of itself," he said. "But that's not my worry. I just try to go out there and get better every day. It's all I can do."

The trade

Every once in a while, two big league clubs will make a trade while they are playing each other, and the players just walk across the field and switch clubhouses.

It's a strange situation to be sure. But with the way the minor leagues are spread out across the country it very rarely occurs in the minors.

But it happened to Connor Von Scoyoc a couple of weeks ago.

The 6-foot-6, 235-pound right-hander was in Spokane with his former team, the Tri-City Dust Devils, when he was notified on June 24 that the Devils' parent club, the Los Angeles Angels, traded him to the Rockies organization in exchange for MLB infielder Mike Moustakas.

He was scheduled to pitch against the Indians the next day. Instead, he packed up his bags and walked across the field to his new clubhouse.

"It was pretty cool experience," he said. "Especially walking across the concourse — that was pretty interesting. But it's cool. New faces, new beginnings, all that good stuff."

Still, a little bizarre.

"Especially the next day facing the team that I was with all spring and the first half. The same guys I was rooting for to punch one in the hole, now I'm hoping they just roll it over to shortstop."

Van Scoyoc found it flattering that another team traded a Major League veteran for his services.

"I like the feel of being desired and wanted. I mean, I still gotta show up and can't mess this opportunity up."

Van Scoyoc uses his size to his advantage on the mound. He throws a mid-90s sinker, a cutter, curveball and changeup. He tries to work ahead in the count and pound the zone to get ground balls.

"I want everybody to hit ground balls to the shortstop and I want him to field it and throw them out. Every time."

Van Scoyoc went 4-3 with a 2.76 ERA in 11 starts with Tri-City. In two starts for Spokane he's been just as effective, going 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA over 121/3 innings with 13 strikeouts against just one walk.

He's talked a little bit with his new organization and is looking forward to getting a different perspective.

"I'm just trying to get better every outing and talking with (the Rockies staff) to see what their approaches are and see if that can improve me."

He particularly likes coming to a team that leads the Northwest League in many offensive categories.

"That's exciting," he said. "Even (Thursday) night, we lost but we put up 10 runs. It was it was an exciting game the whole way."

Van Scoyoc enjoys fishing and golfing when he's not at the park and has an interesting choice of what he might be doing if baseball hadn't come first.

"I was thinking an air traffic controller would be pretty cool. I love planes, it just amazes me. Yeah, so just anything with planes would be pretty cool."

That job carries a different type of pressure than standing on a pitcher's mound.

"I need that pressure though," he said. "It helps you succeed."