River Ryan Shows Why Tigers Acquired Him in Organizational Debut
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The Detroit Tigers shocked the baseball world when they traded ace pitcher Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers in August. The league-altering trade saw the World Series favorites acquire the best pitcher in the sport.
On Detroit's end, the intrigue lies in the prospects involved. The Tigers acquired outfielder Zyhir Hope, Brady Smith, and right-handed pitcher River Ryan. Hope has five home runs, 21 RBIs, and a .361 on-base percentage with Double-A Erie.
But Ryan finally made his organizational debut on Wednesday.
Ryan Impresses in Triple-A
Ryan pitched two scoreless innings on Wednesday. He allowed two hits, no walks, and struck out two. Ryan threw six different pitches, but his four-seam fastball sat at 97 mph and his slider at 91 mph.
He has been sidelined since June 17th with a hamstring injury, so the Toledo coaching staff is likely ramping him up slowly. A.J. Hinch spoke about Ryan on Wednesday, per Jason Beck of MLB.com.
"Obviously, we're excited to get him active in the organization and then build him up accordingly," Hinch said.
It's certainly possible that Ryan gets called up before the regular season ends. The Tigers' slow fall in the American League Central standings makes that possible. He's a veteran prospect, and Detroit's fans would love to see him on the big-league roster.
Over nine minor league starts this season, Ryan has a 4.23 ERA, 45 strikeouts, and eight walks. That strikeout-to-walk ratio will certainly play well in the big leagues if he can carry that over. That's been Ryan's calling card throughout his minor league career. Over four seasons, he's walked 16 batters.
At 28 years old, the Tigers should pull him up to the big leagues soon. There isn't much time for his situation to develop and play this out slowly. If Ryan is going to contribute at a high level, Detroit has to bring him up either this month or, hopefully, on the Opening Day roster next season.
The Tigers have been a lost cause this year. They've fallen way short of expectations, but the emergence of Kevin McGongigle and Max Clark has been an encouraging sign. Detroit has a bright farm system, and it got better with the Skubal trade.
But when the franchise trades an elite player like Skubal, fans will be desperate to see the returning players in action. Assuming the Tigers are out of the playoff race, Ryan should make one or two starts before the season ends.
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Zion Trammell graduated from TCU in 2023 with a degree in sports broadcasting and journalism. He currently writes for TCU Horned Frogs on SI. In addition to writing, he is the play-by-play voice for Southlake Carroll baseball and hosts a TCU show on the Bleav Network. X: @zion_trammell