Former West Virginia pitcher Ryan Bergert pitched a shutout inning in his major league debut on Saturday, allowing one hit in the eighth inning of the San Diego Padres’ 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Bergert, a right-hander, came out of the bullpen to start the eighth inning. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the team chose to have him start the eighth inning so he wouldn’t be in an unfamiliar position in his major league debut.
In his time in Morgantown, Bergert never came into the game in an inning that was already in progress. The same held true in the minor leagues, and the Padres elected not to add to the pressure of his first major league appearance. Once Wandy Peralta finished the seventh inning, the Padres told Bergert that he would pitch the eighth.
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Per the Union-Tribune, Bergert initially struggled with the enormity of the moment. He quickly found himself behind two balls in the count to Taylor Walls before finally throwing a strike on his third pitch. Walls fouled it off and later flied out for the inning’s first out.
Ryan Bergert Adjusts Quickly to Majors
Bergert seemed to calm down after those early jitters. He again fell behind 2-0 to Jose Caballero, but came back to strike him out looking on three consecutive fastballs. Even though his best pitch is said to be his slider, he relied almost exclusively on his four-seam fastball. Out of 16 pitches, Bergert opted for the fastball on 12 of them. He threw consistent heat, as every fastball he threw hit either 93 or 94 miles per hour on the radar gun.
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That might have had something to do with getting to pitch at lower elevations for the first time this year. The Triple-A Pacific Coast League is mostly played at elevation. Since the 2021 re-organization of the minor leagues, that’s even more true. Six of the league’s 10 parks sit above 1,000 feet above sea level, including the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in El Paso. A fastball pitcher can be in serious danger in the PCL, which is why the Padres ignored his high ERA in Triple-A.
However, the Padres’ home park is just 16 feet above sea level. That gives the advantage to fastballers, although Bergert will need to hit his other pitches in future appearances. He ended his time on the mound by giving up a single to Chandler Simpson and getting Danny Jansen to pop up to end the inning.
What Does Ryan Bergert’s Future Look Like?
The Padres clearly believe in Bergert. They wouldn’t have bothered to protect him from the Rule 5 draft if they didn’t think he could help them in 2025 and beyond.
He is going to have to get used to coming out of the bullpen and trusting his other pitches. With the Padres behind, they could afford to use Bergert in a low-pressure, familiar situation. But that won’t always be the case. If he’s going to stick with the team all year, he’ll need to show he can handle pressure pitches.
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But his debut went as well as could be expected. He’s got a real chance to stick on the roster and give West Virginia fans a name to track in The Show.
