San Diego Padres Draft Second WVU Player of Day in Pitcher Ryan Bergert

West Virginia junior pitcher Ryan Bergert has been selected by the San Diego Padres with the 190th pick (sixth round) in the 2021 MLB Draft.

Bergert (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) is a talented right-handed pitcher from Glen Oak High School in Canton, Ohio. With two strong seasons (his promising sophomore season cut short by COVID-19) for WVU, he made an impression upon big league scouts. Unfortunately, he was forced to miss the entire 2021 season with an undisclosed injury after projecting to be the No. 2 starter this season.

In 58.2 innings as a freshman and sophomore at WVU, Bergert compiled a 2.30 ERA with 68 strikeouts to just 19 walks. As a sophomore, he racked up a 2-1 record with a 2.92 ERA, with 30 strikeouts to just 11 walks and 14 hits, in 24.2 innings as a regular in the starting rotation. 

With a fastball that tops out around 95 miles per hour and a strong curveball, Bergert still has room to add more to his repertoire in the majors. 

Bergert is the second WVU pitcher to be drafted by the Padres today, joining ace Jackson Wolf, who was drafted in the fourth round.

After a fully missed season in 2021, Bergert’s potential was enough to convince the Padres to pick the talented right-hander despite the disappointing COVID and injury-related end to his last two seasons with the Mountaineers.