Richard Fitts is a big right-hander hoping to do big things in a new organization. He has a chance to do just that. Acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the New York Yankees in December’s Alex Verdugo trade, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Auburn University product is coming off a season where he logged a 3.48 ERA and fanned 163 batters in 152-and-two-thirds innings with Double-A Somerset. A 2021 sixth-round pick slated to begin the forthcoming campaign in Triple-A, he ranks among the top starting pitcher prospects in the Red Sox system.

Fitts discussed his game earlier this month when Boston held its annual Rookie Development Camp at Fenway Park.

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David Laurila: Let’s start with how you approach your craft. Are you a pitching nerd?

Richard Fitts: “I’d like to be considered a pitching nerd. I’m by no means a genius, but I take a lot of pride in trying to get better every single day, and that includes figuring out the ins and outs of what can make me the best that I can be.”

Laurila: What did you learn in the Yankees organization that you didn’t necessarily know at Auburn?

Fitts: “I learned a lot more about how to throw a four-seam fastball in different spots. That’s kind of how I’ve developed as a pitcher. I’ve learned where I can throw certain pitches and what counts to throw them in. Auburn was amazing — I loved every single minute and was able to develop a little bit there — but once I got into pro ball and got some metrics in front of me is when I think I really took off.”

Laurila: Where does your fastball play best?

Fitts: “Usually up in the zone, up-and-in. I like to throw it down-and-away a good bit too, but mostly up in the zone. That’s to both righties and lefties. I get pretty good ride on my fastball.”

Laurila: Do you know the metrics on it?

Fitts: “Last season, I was probably sitting anywhere from about 18 to 22 inches of ride. From what I’ve heard from hitters, and kind of from the data, I also have some perceived cut. It’s like a power cutter, almost.”

Laurila: Location and usage aside, are you throwing your fastball any differently than you did in college?

Fitts: “No. But when I got to Auburn, I was actually only throwing two-seams. I played the infield when I was in high school and threw two-seams across the diamond. When I got to Auburn, coach [Butch] Thompson said ‘Hey, you’ll tick up a couple miles an hour if you throw a four-seam,’ so I started long-tossing with one. At that point, the four-seam was new to me.”

Laurila: Are you throwing a cutter?

Fitts: “I played around with one last year, but I ended up scrapping it because it was too similar to my fastball. Actually, it was almost like a really bad slider merged with a really bad fastball.”

Laurila: What is your best secondary?

Fitts: “I’m working hard on developing a solid changeup that I can use against both righties and lefties, but right now it’s probably my slider.”

Laurila: Is it a sweeper or a conventional slider?

Fitts: “It’s a little bit in between. I’m trying to get a little more sweep to it, but not the giant sweepers that we’re seeing across the league. I’m starting to figure some things out in hopes of getting a consistent movement of 10 or more inches.”

Laurila: Were you comped to anyone in the Yankees system? Maybe a guy where they’d tell you, “Watch him, your stuff plays similar to his.”

Fitts: “We talked about that a little bit, but it was mostly just trying to find what I should work on as an individual. We looked a lot at video and would go from there.”

Laurila: Where are you velocity-wise?

Fitts: “Last year, my average was about 93-94 [mph]. This year, I want to tick that up a good bit.”

Laurila: How have you changed physically over the last few years?

Fitts: “Right now, I’m 6-foot-4, 245. I know that some listings have me at 215 pounds, but that was what I came into professional baseball at. Since that time, I’ve gained 30 pounds — 10 over the last year — and a lot of muscle mass. Now it’s just about fine-tuning my mechanics as best I can.”

Laurila: Any final thoughts?

Fitts: “My goal is to be a longtime big leaguer and to win here in Boston — win some World Series. I also want to be the best version of myself. You asked about comps, and right now I’m focused on becoming that best version. I want to be authentic. At the end of the day, I want to be Richard Fitts.”

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