Drafted in the 8th round (254th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2016 (signed for $120,000).
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Ridings is a 6-foot-6 righthander who had strong interest late in the spring. His fastball works in the low 90s and some scouts saw him get up to 93 mph. He was also a strong performer, striking out 87 batters in 65 1/3 innings.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
Track Record: Ridings lasted three seasons with the Cubs before being dealt to the Royals in 2019. He stayed two seasons with Kansas City before signing with the Yankees as a minor league free agent. Ridings carved at the upper levels in 2021 before earning his first big league callup.
Scouting Report: Ridings’ calling card is his high-velocity fastball. In the minors, the pitch touched 100 mph and averaged roughly 97. But velocity is only part of the reason the Yankees have tabbed Ridings’ heater as the best in the system. The pitch also shows well analytically, with plus or better marks in terms of spin rate as well as horizontal and vertical break. Put simply, the pitch is hard, lively and very difficult to hit. The key to Ridings’ ascent, however, lies with the improvement of his breaking ball. The pitch, a tight, high-80s slider, got swings and misses more than half the time in the minor leagues. Ridings’ work with Yankees strength guru Eric Cressey has also helped create a more fluid delivery.
The Future: Ridings is a powerful reliever with a massive frame and two excellent weapons to dominate hitters. The Yankees added him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.
Scouting Reports
Track Record: Ridings lasted three seasons with the Cubs before being dealt to the Royals in 2019. He stayed two seasons with Kansas City before signing with the Yankees as a minor league free agent. Ridings carved at the upper levels in 2021 before earning his first big league callup.
Scouting Report: Ridings’ calling card is his high-velocity fastball. In the minors, the pitch touched 100 mph and averaged roughly 97. But velocity is only part of the reason the Yankees have tabbed Ridings’ heater as the best in the system. The pitch also shows well analytically, with plus or better marks in terms of spin rate as well as horizontal and vertical break. Put simply, the pitch is hard, lively and very difficult to hit. The key to Ridings’ ascent, however, lies with the improvement of his breaking ball. The pitch, a tight, high-80s slider, got swings and misses more than half the time in the minor leagues. Ridings’ work with Yankees strength guru Eric Cressey has also helped create a more fluid delivery.
The Future: Ridings is a powerful reliever with a massive frame and two excellent weapons to dominate hitters. The Yankees added him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.
Ridings' story was incredible even before he made his big league debut. He was drafted by the Cubs in 2016, then traded in 2018 to the Royals, who released him in 2020. The Yankees signed him in 2021 and saw him gain a huge amount of velocity after an offseason of work with Eric Cressey. He now regularly parks his fastball in the upper 90s and touches triple-digits regularly. His breaking ball has gotten better, too, to the point where it is fringe-average.
Career Transactions
Syracuse Mets released RHP Stephen Ridings.
New York Mets sent RHP Stephen Ridings outright to Syracuse Mets.
New York Mets sent RHP Stephen Ridings outright to Syracuse Mets.
New York Mets optioned RHP Stephen Ridings to Syracuse Mets.
New York Mets optioned RHP Stephen Ridings to Syracuse Mets.
New York Mets sent RHP Stephen Ridings on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets.
New York Mets sent RHP Stephen Ridings on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets.
Syracuse Mets activated RHP Stephen Ridings.
New York Mets reassigned RHP Stephen Ridings to the minor leagues.
New York Mets sent RHP Stephen Ridings on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets.
New York Mets transferred RHP Stephen Ridings from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Right lat strain.
New York Mets placed RHP Stephen Ridings on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 27, 2023. Right lat strain.
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