JR Ritchie did something on Sunday that hadn't been done in the Minors since 2024.
The 23-year-old right-hander struck out a career-high 15 batters -- while allowing a pair of runs on four hits and a walk -- over 6 2/3 frames to pace Triple-A Gwinnett's 5-2 victory over Charlotte at Gwinnett Field.
The 15 punchouts set a new single-game franchise record for Gwinnett, eclipsing the previous high mark of 13 held by Spencer Strider (2025) and Bryse Wilson (2018).
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Ritchie retired a string of nine batters in a row from the fourth to the seventh inning -- fanning seven, including the side in order in the sixth. He exited after throwing 95 pitches, 69 strikes.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder exceeded 96 mph with his fastball 10 times and topped out at 97.2 mph. Sunday also marked Ritchie's longest outing since April 23, when he went seven innings, and his third longest outing of the year.
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The last time a pitcher racked up at least 15 K's in a single Minor League game was Braves No. 26 prospect Drue Hackenberg, who struck out 16 for the Double-A Mississippi Braves on July 21, 2024.
Ritchie becomes the sixth Braves hurler to record at least 15 punchies in a single game at any level -- John Smoltz (twice), Kendry Flores, Strider, Grant Holmes and Hackenberg are the others.
It's been a season marred by mixed results for Ritchie, who made his big league debut on April 23 and appeared in 14 games (eight starts) for Atlanta, posting a 4.50 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP with 53 strikeouts and 36 walks over 58 innings.
But something might have clicked for the 2022 No. 35 overall pick on Sunday and that could provide a big boost for the Braves as they continue their playoff push down the stretch. Atlanta currently holds a five-game lead in the NL East Division and is two back in the loss column of the Brewers for the best record in baseball.
"I felt a lot more like myself,” Ritchie told MLB.com after his outing on June 12, when he tossed five scoreless frames against the Mets. “That was a big emphasis coming back, trusting myself and my process and my routines. Trusting who I am on the mound, not giving in.”
Ritchie has yielded two runs or fewer in five of his past six starts at Triple-A -- posting a pair of scoreless outings over that stretch. In his last big league outing, the 23-year-old made a spot start for the Braves on Aug. 2 and allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while fanning four over four innings in a 4-2 victory over the Nationals.