Ryan Bergert Bio
Ryan Michael Bergert is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). The right-handed hurler made his major league debut in 2025 with the San Diego Padres before being traded to Kansas City later in the same season. A former sixth-round draft pick out of West Virginia University, Bergert has built his career on strike-throwing ability and innings-eating durability in the minor leagues.
Bergert attended GlenOak High School in Canton, Ohio, where he played baseball. As a senior in 2019, he went 4–2 with a 3.19 ERA and 66 strikeouts over 37 innings. After high school, he continued his baseball career at West Virginia University, where he developed into a draft-eligible prospect.
Early Life and Background
Ryan Michael Bergert was born on March 8, 2000, in Canton, Ohio, USA. He grew up in the Canton area and attended GlenOak High School, where he played high school baseball. As a senior in 2019, he posted a 4–2 record with a 3.19 ERA and 66 strikeouts over 37 innings, drawing attention from college and professional scouts.
After graduating from GlenOak, Bergert enrolled at West Virginia University, where he played college baseball for the Mountaineers. The program provided him with the opportunity to refine his pitching mechanics against strong Big 12 competition while continuing to develop his strikeout profile.
Path to Professional Baseball
Bergert wasted little time making an impact at the college level. As a freshman at West Virginia in 2019, he pitched to a 2–0 record and a 1.85 ERA over 34 innings. As a sophomore in 2020, he posted a 2.92 ERA over 24⅔ innings before the season was cut short.
That summer, Bergert played in the Northwoods League for the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders, gaining valuable experience against top amateur talent in a competitive wooden-bat league. He did not play a game with West Virginia in 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, a setback that delayed his draft season but did not diminish his prospect status.
Ryan Bergert Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Bergert was selected by the San Diego Padres in the sixth round (190th overall) of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the organization and made his professional debut near the end of the 2021 season with the Arizona Complex League Padres, giving up no earned runs over 11 innings.
He played the 2022 season with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, starting 24 games and going 4–10 with a 5.84 ERA and 129 strikeouts over 103⅓ innings. The workload demonstrated his durability, even as the losses mounted, and the strikeout total reinforced his long-term offensive value as a starting pitcher.
Minor League Breakthrough (2023–2024)
Bergert returned to Fort Wayne to open the 2023 season before earning a mid-July promotion to the San Antonio Missions. Over 23 games (20 starts) split between the two levels, he went 6–4 with a 2.73 ERA and 126 strikeouts over 105⅔ innings, cementing his status as a legitimate starting pitcher prospect within the Padres system.
Bergert was assigned back to San Antonio to open the 2024 season. In 23 starts for the Missions, he logged a 2–10 record and 4.78 ERA with 87 strikeouts across 98 innings of work. Despite the heavy losses, the Padres valued his arm enough to add him to their 40-man roster following the season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
San Diego Padres Era (2025)
Bergert was optioned to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas to begin the 2025 season. On April 25, 2025, he was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He earned his first career win on May 5, in the Padres’ victory over the New York Yankees.
In 11 appearances (seven starts) for San Diego, Bergert compiled a 1–0 record and a 2.78 ERA with 34 strikeouts across 35⅔ innings pitched. The strong debut showing established him as a reliable arm in the Padres bullpen-rotation mix.
Kansas City Royals Era (2025–Present)
On July 31, 2025, the Padres traded Ryan Michael Bergert and Stephen Kolek to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for catcher Freddy Fermín. The midseason deal placed Bergert within a new organization looking to add young, controllable pitching depth.
Bergert joined the Royals with momentum from his major league debut, and his strikeout profile gave Kansas City another power arm for the late stages of the 2025 season and beyond. The trade represented a fresh start for the 25-year-old pitcher as he moved from a National League West contender to an American League Central club.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bergert has built his reputation on a heavy strikeout rate, with multiple minor league seasons featuring more than 10 punchouts per nine innings. His innings capacity, demonstrated by 20-plus start workloads in the low minors, has allowed him to remain a starting pitcher candidate. The right-hander’s ability to limit earned runs in shorter major league stints also suggests a potential swing role between the rotation and bullpen.
Notable Events and Milestones
Bergert’s first career major league win came on May 5, 2025, against the storied New York Yankees franchise, a memorable debut milestone. His 40-man roster protection by the Padres after the 2024 season further underscored the organization’s belief in his long-term ceiling.
Ryan Bergert Career Wins
Ryan Michael Bergert’s verified major league win total stands at one, earned on May 5, 2025, with the San Diego Padres against the New York Yankees. His minor league ledger, however, features several productive seasons in which he accumulated wins across multiple levels, including six victories with San Antonio in 2023.
Minor League Highlights
Bergert’s most productive minor league season came in 2023, when he went 6–4 between Fort Wayne and San Antonio while striking out 126 batters in 105⅔ innings. His 2024 campaign with San Antonio yielded two wins in 23 starts, and his 2021 professional debut produced scoreless innings across 11 frames with the Arizona Complex League Padres.
Other Performances
Bergert’s summer of 2020 with the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders in the Northwoods League provided him with elite amateur-level experience. His freshman 2–0 record at West Virginia in 2019 and his high school senior totals at GlenOak rounded out a steady developmental track that ultimately led to a sixth-round draft selection.
Ryan Bergert Family
Personal Life
Ryan Michael Bergert was born and raised in Canton, Ohio, the same community where he attended GlenOak High School. Publicly verified details about his immediate family, marital status, and personal residence are not available in the source materials used to compile this page.
2025 Season Performance
Ryan Michael Bergert opened the 2025 season with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas before earning his first major league call-up on April 25. In 11 appearances (seven starts) with the Padres, he posted a 1–0 record and a 2.78 ERA with 34 strikeouts over 35⅔ innings, including his first career win on May 5 against the New York Yankees.
The Padres traded him and Stephen Kolek to the Kansas City Royals on July 31, 2025, in exchange for catcher Freddy Fermín. The move placed Bergert within an American League Central contender and gave him a platform to compete for a larger late-season role.
Heading into the close of the 2025 campaign, Bergert’s outlook rests on his strong debut numbers and his continued strikeout production. His progression from Rule 5 protection in 2024 to a major league winner in 2025 suggests that both Kansas City and rival clubs view him as a potential long-term piece of a major league pitching staff.