Flashback Friday: LHP, Ryan Och

In June of 2016, Ryan Och showcased a fastball with late life that reached 85 -- one of the highest among left-handed pitchers in PBR Minnesota that year. The soon-to-be senior in high school had tools on the mound that PBR evaluators described as  “easy to dream on” and that his future had a “high ceiling.” 

From that June 2016 evaluation:

6-foot-2, 175-pound left-handed pitcher. Lean projectable arm that has gained significant recruiting interest through summer. Easy arm action from mid ¾ slot. Ball comes out of hand extremely clean. Late life on fastball at 82-85 mph. Inconsistent hand/release position on curveball; but flashes avg./above avg. in future. Avg. feel for changeup at 74-76 mph.

Och was ranked the 5th best left-handed pitcher in the state among the 2017 graduating class. With future draftees like Sam Carlson, Max Meyer, Sam Thoresen, and Trent Palmer, Och’s 22nd overall ranking shows how deep that class of arms actually was.

Following his graduation from Chanhassen, Och committed to Southern Miss. In three seasons with the Golden Eagles, he threw 59 innings with a career 2.44 ERA while making 39 of his 40 appearances out of the bullpen. This past year, as a COVID sophomore Och went 8-0 with 59 strikeouts over 35.1 innings, impressing pro teams with his now 92-to-94 mile per hour fastball that had tantalizing movement and was challenging on left- and right-handed hitters alike. 

In the seventh round of the 2021 MLB draft, with the 220th pick overall, the San Diego Padres selected Och. After the draft, Och was told by team officials that they were impressed with the deception in his motion as well as his ability to make the fastball dance. 

Since joining the Padres, Och has made 10 relief appearances and has struck out 19 over 13 innings split between San Diego’s rookie ball team and the Lake Elsinore Storm (A).