Ryan Ritter Named California League MVP; 3 More Grizzlies Also Announced as All-Stars

Fresno, CA – Minor League Baseball announced Tuesday morning that three Fresno Grizzlies were awarded California League All-Star honors, with two members of the squad receiving League Awards, thanks to their stellar 2023 campaigns. Shortstop Ryan Ritter, manager Steve Soliz, right-handed relief pitcher Zach Agnos and left-handed starting pitcher Michael Prosecky were the winning recipients of their respective positions, as voted by league managers. The five total awards were tied for the most among the eight California League teams (Lake Elsinore).

Ryan Ritter was named as the California League's Top Shortstop and Most Valuable Player after a remarkable season in Fresno. Ritter becomes the third player in Fresno Grizzlies' franchise history to be awarded league MVP (Matt Duffy, 2015 and Calvin Murray, 1999, both PCL MVPs). The Rockies #20 overall prospect played just 65 games with the Grizzlies before his promotion to High-A Spokane and now, Double-A Hartford. The University of Kentucky product batted .305/.405/.606/1.011 with 18 homers, 58 RBI and 53 runs with Fresno before his call-up in early July. When he left the California League, Ritter ranked among the Top 10 of the league's hitting leaderboard in 10 categories. The Rockies' 2022 4th-round draft pick ranked first in homers (18), first in total bases (149), first in extra-base hits (35), first in slugging percentage (.606), first in OPS (1.011), tied for first in RBI (58), third in runs (53), fourth in hits (75), fifth in OBP (.405) and ninth in batting average (.305) as of July 3rd. Ritter had reached base successfully in his final 23 Fresno games and smacked a hit in 20 of his last 25 games. Overall, Ritter won four Player of the Week or Month honors, the most of any California League player and finished tied for second in the league with 18 homers. Congratulations to Ryan Ritter!

Steve Soliz was tabbed as the California League Manager of the Year after leading the Grizzlies' to a 78-54 record in his inaugural season at the helm. Soliz's squad finished with the best mark in the California League and had a winning record against every team in the league. Soliz is in his third year with the Grizzlies after being the bench coach in 2022 and the development supervisor in 2021. Over the past three seasons, Soliz has helped develop a plethora of Colorado prospects including #1 overall Adael Amador and current Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. This is the second time in three seasons that the Manager of the Year was in the Grizzlies dugout, as Robinson Cancel won the award in 2021. Congratulations to Steve Soliz!

Zach Agnos was selected as one of two California League Relievers of the Year after becoming one of the most dominant closers in Minor League Baseball. Agnos finished with a Minor League-leading 27 saves this season (seven more than the next reliever), putting him third all-time in the franchise’s Top 10 single-season saves. The East Carolina University product appeared in 47 games (team went 39-8 in his outings), going 5-3 with three holds, a 2.06 ERA and 68 strikeouts. Agnos was a force over his last 13 games of 2023, where Fresno went 12-1. The Rockies' 2022 10th-round draft pick went 3-0 with nine saves and a 0.00 ERA in that span. In 15.1 scoreless innings, Agnos allowed 11 hits and two walks while fanning 24. In the month of August, he finished 2-0 with seven saves over nine games (team went 9-0). In 10.1 scoreless innings, Agnos gave up nine hits and one walk with 17 strikeouts. In his final three months (23 games, July-September), Agnos went 3-1 with 14 saves and a 0.35 ERA. In 26.0 frames, Agnos permitted three runs (one earned), on 20 hits, three walks and 35 punchouts. Congratulations to Zach Agnos!

Michael Prosecky was chosen as one of four California League Starters of the Year after an outstanding season with the Grizzlies. Prosecky appeared in 21 games (all starts), going 11-7 with a Single-A-best 2.72 ERA (0.40 points better) and California League-leading 125 strikeouts (six more). Besides that, the University of Louisville product enjoyed the California League-lowest batting average against him (.217, 0.29 points better) and ranked among the Top 10 in five other league pitching categories. Prosecky won two California League Player of the Week or Month honors and ended his year tied for 10th in Grizzliesʼ Top 10 franchise single-season wins with 11. The Rockies' 2022 6th-round draft pick was electric at the end of the season. Over his last nine starts, Prosecky went 6-2 with a 1.12 ERA (48.1 IP, 32 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 14 BB, 57 K). Prosecky permitted two earned runs or fewer in nine consecutive outings and 12 of 13 starts between June 8-September 7. He tossed six shutout starts in that span as well. On the year, Prosecky made 11 starts at home, going 7-2 with a 1.24 ERA (58.0 IP, 39 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 16 BB, 70 K). In seven starts, Prosecky went 4-1 with a 0.91 ERA versus the California League South Division. Congratulations to Michael Prosecky!

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ABOUT THE FRESNO GRIZZLIES

The Fresno Grizzlies are a proud affiliate of the Colorado Rockies organization. During the 2023 season, the Grizzlies finished with the best record in the California League while holding a number of league records, including largest cumulative attendance and the top 17 attended home games, as well as the 14th-highest attended game in all of Minor League Baseball. The team plays at Chukchansi Park in Downtown Fresno, which is also a year-round community venue that hosts a myriad of other special events including concerts, high school sporting events, and over 100 non-profit community events annually. The 2024 season will mark the team’s 22nd year in Downtown Fresno and 26th baseball season since its inception in 1998.