Position: RHP
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 205 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 05/11/1995
College: University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Drafted: 30th Round, 902nd Overall, 2016 (Indians)
How Acquired: Minor League Free Agent
Bonus: $100,000
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Minor League Free Agency: 2024
Options Left: 2
Overview
Ryan was a late-round draftee with a strange pre-draft track record. He was ranked fairly well as a draft prospect coming out of high school, but he didn’t sign and played sparingly at third for North Carolina, eventually leaving the team. He pitched just once in college, facing four hitters and allowing three walks and a hit. Cleveland drafted him as a pitcher anyway and, as a pro, he’s pitched almost exclusively in relief. Ryan primarily throws a high-spin fastball and slider from a low three-quarters angle. The fastball sits at 94-95 mph and has some ability to miss bats. He’s occasionally thrown a change. He moved up gradually through the minors, reaching AAA in his age 26 season. He’s thrown one inning in the majors. Ryan has usually had good walk rates and fairly good strikeout rates. The Pirates signed him to a minor league deal for 2024, with an invite to major league spring training.
2016-20
In his first two years, in rookie ball and Low Class A, Ryan put up just decent numbers. He had a 3.86 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 2016, and a 4.14 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 2017. Cleveland traded him to the Mets in August 2017. A strong, 16-game stint in High A got him a promotion to AA in 2018 and he pitched well over 26 games. Throughout this time, Ryan had K/9 figures around 10.0. In 2019, he spent the season in AA and put up a 3.05 ERA, although his BB/9 and K/9 both slid quite a bit, to 4.7 and 8.1, respectively. He also missed a month with an injury. Ryan didn’t play in the pandemic season and, after the season, the Mets traded him to Texas.
2021-24
Ryan spent two seasons in AAA with Texas. He continued to post good K rates, but his control wasn’t as good as it had been and he got hit some. He had ERAs in 2021 and 2022 of 5.60 and 3.64, respectively. After the 2022 season, Ryan became a free agent and signed a minor league deal with Seattle.
Ryan spent most of 2023 in AAA. Oddly, Seattle released him in June but re-signed him to a minor league deal two days later. In August, the Mariners called him up and he got into one game. He had a solid season in AAA, helped by a lower BB/9 of 3.6. Ryan finished with a 3.76 ERA in the offense-happy Pacific Coast League, which had an overall ERA of 5.70.
After the 2023 season, Seattle removed Ryan from the 40-man roster. He opted for free agency and signed a minor league deal with the Pirates, then made the team out of spring training. He split his time between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, then was designated for assignment at the end of July and outrighted to AAA. He didn’t pitch well there before or after being dfa’d, but with the Pirates’ bullpen falling apart, they called him back up ten days later, then dfa’d him again after another week.
Stats
Transactions
June 7, 2014: Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 40th round, 1208th overall pick.
June 11, 2016: Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 30th round, 902nd overall pick; signed on June 23.
August 9, 2017: Traded by the Cleveland Indians to the New York Mets for Jay Bruce.
December 18, 2020: Traded by the New York Mets to the Texas Rangers for Todd Frazier.
November 10, 2022: Became a free agent.
December 19, 2022: Signed by the Seattle Mariners as a minor league free agent.
June 3, 2023: Released by the Seattle Mariners.
June 5, 2023: Signed by the Seattle Mariners as a minor league free agent.
August 3, 2023: Contract purchased by the Seattle Mariners.
November 6, 2023: Outrighted to AAA by the Seattle Mariners and elected free agency.
December 11, 2023: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
March 25, 2024: Called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
August 2, 2024: Outrighted to AAA by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
August 12, 2024: Called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
August 21, 2024: Outrighted to AAA by the Pittsburgh Pirates.