Ryan Pressly Bio
Thomas Ryan Pressly, known professionally as Ryan Pressly, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. Over the course of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he has played for the Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, and Chicago Cubs. A two-time American League (AL) All-Star, Pressly contributed to the Houston Astros’ 2022 World Series championship and was selected to the 2022 All-MLB Team. He has also represented the United States in the World Baseball Classic, helping Team USA finish as a silver medalist in 2023.
Born in Dallas, Texas, Pressly developed into one of the most reliable relief pitchers of his era, known for his high-spin curveball and slider. He set the MLB record for consecutive scoreless appearances in 2019 and became the first pitcher in major league history to finish two combined no-hitters, including the second no-hitter ever thrown in the World Series. Beyond baseball, he is recognized for his close-knit family life with his wife, Kat, and their two children.
Early Life and Background
Ryan Pressly was born on December 15, 1988, in Dallas, Texas, and raised in nearby Irving. He grew up in a sports-oriented family, with his grandfather, Tito Nicholas, sharing a personal friendship with Tom Landry, the legendary former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. From a young age, Pressly trained in baseball under the guidance of retired Major League pitcher Steve Busby, who helped shape his mechanics and competitive mindset. Pressly grew up cheering for the Texas Rangers and developed into a multi-sport athlete during his school years.
Pressly attended American Heritage Academy in Carrollton, Texas, for his first three years of high school, where he starred as both a pitcher and shortstop on the baseball team. He also played American football as a defensive back, but a severe knee injury sustained after an interception during a game ended his football career and threatened his baseball future. The injury required surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee, and as the school considered discontinuing its baseball program, Pressly transferred to Edward S. Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, for his senior year.
Following high school, Pressly committed to Texas Tech University on a baseball scholarship and was regarded as one of the top amateur pitchers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. However, his path to professional baseball came sooner than expected when the Boston Red Sox selected him in the 2007 MLB draft, prompting him to forgo college in favor of beginning his professional career.
Path to Baseball
Pressly was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 11th round, 354th overall, of the 2007 MLB draft, signing with the organization for a $100,000 bonus. He spent the next five seasons moving through the Red Sox minor league system, initially working as a starting pitcher. The transition to a full-time relief role came in 2012, when he converted to the bullpen while pitching for the Class AA Portland Sea Dogs in the Eastern League, where he posted a 2.93 earned run average (ERA) with 21 strikeouts across 27 and two-thirds innings. That season demonstrated the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that would later define his major league career.
After the 2012 season, the Minnesota Twins selected Pressly from the Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft, giving him a clear path to the major leagues. He earned a spot on the Twins’ Opening Day roster and made his MLB debut on April 4, 2013, pitching a scoreless inning and striking out Torii Hunter. The early returns established Pressly as a strikeout-oriented reliever with the durability to handle high-leverage innings, and he appeared in 49 games during his rookie campaign, going 3-3 with a 3.87 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 76 and two-thirds innings.
Ryan Pressly Career
Minnesota Twins (2013–2018)
During his six seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Ryan Pressly developed from a Rule 5 pick into a trusted late-inning reliever. After his 2013 debut, he bounced between Triple-A Rochester and the major league club over the next few seasons, dealing with a lat strain that ended his 2015 campaign early. In 2016, Pressly settled into a middle relief and setup role, appearing in 72 games and recording his first major league save on July 31 in a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. He finished that year with a 3.70 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 75 and one-third innings.
Pressly remained a key piece of the Twins’ bullpen through 2018, when he posted a 3.40 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 47 and two-thirds innings across 51 appearances. His strong performance during the first half of the 2018 season drew significant trade interest, and on July 27, 2018, the Twins dealt him to the Houston Astros for minor leaguers Jorge Alcalá and Gilberto Celestino, marking the beginning of the most successful chapter of his career.
Houston Astros Breakthrough (2018–2019)
Pressly’s move to the Houston Astros transformed his career. In 26 regular season appearances with Houston, he posted a 0.77 ERA and walked just three batters, finishing the year with career-best marks in ERA (2.54) and Fielding Independent Pitching (2.47) between the two clubs. The Astros’ analytics department identified elite spin rates on his curveball and slider, encouraging him to throw both pitches more often. He crossed the 100-strikeout threshold for the first time, finishing with 101 strikeouts and 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings, and made his postseason debut in the 2018 American League Division Series and Championship Series against Cleveland and Boston.
The 2019 season was a defining one for Ryan Pressly. He set the MLB record for consecutive scoreless appearances with 40, breaking a mark previously held by Craig Kimbrel, when he recorded his 39th straight scoreless outing on May 17. He finished the year 2-3 with three saves, a 2.32 ERA, and 72 strikeouts across 55 relief appearances, tying for the major league lead with 31 holds. Pressly was selected to his first All-Star Game in 2019, capping a breakthrough year that established him as one of baseball’s most dominant relief pitchers.
All-Star Closer Era (2020–2022)
Beginning in 2020, Ryan Pressly took on the full-time closer role for the Houston Astros, saving 12 games with a 3.43 ERA in 23 appearances during the shortened season. In 2021, he was selected to his second All-Star Game and finished the year 5-3 with 26 saves, a 2.25 ERA, and 81 strikeouts across 64 innings, recording the lowest walk and home run rates of his career. On April 5, 2022, Pressly agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $30 million covering 2023 and 2024, with a vesting option for 2025.
The 2022 season became the most celebrated of Pressly’s career. He saved 33 games with a 2.98 ERA across 50 appearances, but it was his postseason work that cemented his legacy. On June 25, he closed out a combined no-hitter against the New York Yankees in a 3-0 win, and on November 2, he secured the final three outs of Game 4 of the 2022 World Series, a 5-0 combined no-hitter of the Philadelphia Phillies, becoming the first pitcher in major league history to finish two combined no-hitters. Pressly converted six of six postseason save opportunities and led all players in the 2022 World Series with a 33.87 percent championship win probability added, helping the Astros capture the World Series title.
Chicago Cubs Era (2025)
On January 28, 2025, the Houston Astros traded Ryan Pressly and $5.5 million in cash considerations to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for minor leaguer Juan Bello. The move followed the Astros’ signing of closer Josh Hader, which had pushed Pressly into a setup role during the 2024 season. In 44 appearances for the Cubs, Pressly went 2-3 with a 4.35 ERA, 28 strikeouts, and five saves across 41 and one-third innings. On July 31, 2025, Pressly was designated for assignment by the Cubs and was released the following day, leaving him as a free agent for the remainder of the season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Ryan Pressly has built his career on two elite breaking pitches: a high-spin curveball and a sharp slider, both of which he throws with conviction in any count. The Astros’ analytics team identified his spin rate advantages after his trade to Houston, encouraging him to lean into his swing-and-miss stuff rather than work around hitters. His ability to throw both pitches for strikes, combined with a low walk rate, made him an ideal late-inning reliever and one of the most efficient closers of his era.
Notable Events and Milestones
Pressly set the MLB record for consecutive scoreless appearances with 40 in 2019, surpassing Craig Kimbrel’s previous mark. He became the first pitcher in major league history to finish two combined no-hitters, doing so in 2022, including the second no-hitter ever thrown in World Series play. With 14 career postseason saves, he ranks fifth all-time, and he was the 16th reliever in MLB history to record six postseason saves in a single postseason during the 2022 World Series run.
Ryan Pressly Career Wins
Across his major league career, Ryan Pressly has accumulated more than 100 regular-season saves, with 99 of those coming as a member of the Houston Astros, where he became the fourth pitcher in franchise history to reach the 100-save milestone. His 14 career postseason saves rank fifth in MLB history, and he converted 14 consecutive postseason save opportunities at one point, trailing only Mariano Rivera on the all-time consecutive postseason saves list. Pressly also tied the Astros’ franchise record with 27 consecutive batters retired by a reliever, a mark originally set by Dave Giusti in 1965, and he holds the team record with six consecutive American League Championship Series appearances.
Houston Astros Highlights
Pressly spent seven seasons with the Houston Astros from 2018 through 2024, becoming one of the most decorated closers in franchise history. He recorded his first save as an Astro in 2018, was selected to two All-Star Games in 2019 and 2021, and helped lead the team to a World Series title in 2022. He reached his 100th career regular-season save on July 21, 2023, against Oakland, and his 100th save as a member of the Astros on July 25, 2023, against the Texas Rangers, joining Billy Wagner, Dave Smith, and Brad Lidge as the only pitchers to do so in Houston.
Other Wins and Performances
In international play, Ryan Pressly represented the United States in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, tossing three scoreless innings and recording three saves, which tied for the tournament lead. Team USA finished as silver medalists, falling to Japan 3-2 in the final. Earlier in his career, Pressly was a 2012 Eastern League All-Star with the Portland Sea Dogs after converting to a relief role in the Boston Red Sox system.
Ryan Pressly Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ryan Pressly’s family has deep roots in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with his grandfather, Tito Nicholas, counted among the close personal friends of Tom Landry, the Hall of Fame coach of the Dallas Cowboys. That connection to the Landry family gave Pressly early exposure to professional sports culture, and he grew up in an environment that valued athletic achievement. The family supported his baseball ambitions from a young age, even as a serious knee injury briefly threatened his playing future.
Personal Life
Ryan Pressly married his wife, Kat, formerly Kat Rogers and a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, on December 31, 2019, in Houston. The couple has two children: a son, Wyatt, born in August 2021, and a daughter, Hunter Lee, born in July 2022. Pressly is an avid outdoorsman and hunter, and during the 2023-24 offseason he served as a guest bartender on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Bravo after it was discovered that he and his wife were fans of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
2025 Season Performance
Ryan Pressly began the 2025 season with the Chicago Cubs after being traded from Houston in late January, joining a new bullpen and a new organization. He appeared in 44 games for the Cubs, compiling a 2-3 record with a 4.35 ERA, 28 strikeouts, and five saves across 41 and one-third innings pitched. The performance fell short of the dominance he showed during his peak seasons in Houston, and the Cubs designated him for assignment on July 31 before releasing him the following day.
As a free agent for the remainder of the 2025 campaign, Pressly will look to latch on with a contender in need of bullpen help ahead of the postseason. At 36 years old, he remains a proven high-leverage arm with two All-Star selections, a World Series ring, and a résumé that includes more than 100 career regular-season saves. His next team will likely weigh the recent dip in results against his track record of postseason excellence, where his 14 career saves rank fifth in major league history.