AUBURN, Ala. – Former Auburn standouts Richard Fitts and Ryan Bliss have earned Minor League Baseball postseason honors. Fitts was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year and an Eastern League All-Star, while Bliss was tabbed a Texas League All-Star.
Rated the New York Yankees No. 12 prospect, including the No. 4 pitching prospect, Fitts spent the entirety of the 2023 season with Double-A Somerset and turned in an 11-5 record with a 3.48 ERA in 27 starts. He led the Eastern League in starts, wins, innings pitched (152.2) and strikeouts (163) and ranked third in ERA and WHIP (1.19). Fitts' innings pitched and strikeout totals were also good for third and ninth, respectively, in minor league baseball.
Fitts registered double-digit strikeouts in four starts, including a career-high 11 strikeouts in his final start of the season on Sept. 15, and registered 15 quality starts. He set Somerset single-season records in wins, starts, quality starts and innings pitched.
A second-round pick in 2021, Bliss turned in his best season as a pro, setting career highs in every offensive category including average (.304), runs (110), hits (164) doubles (34), triples (eight), home runs (23), RBI (86) and stolen bases (55). He became one of five players in minor league baseball over the last 40 years with 20 or more home runs and 50 or more stolen bases. Rated the Mariners No. 14 prospect, Bliss ranked third in MiLB in runs, fourth in hits and tied for 11th in stolen bases.
Upon being selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game in July, Bliss led the Texas League in runs (67), hits (105), average (.358) and slugging (.594) and ranked second in doubles (25) and stolen bases (30). He earned Texas League Player of the Month honors in April and May and spent the second half of the season in Triple-A with both the Diamondbacks and Mariners.