Ex-Archie Williams Pitcher Joe Ryan Pockets $500 In MLB Win: Report

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Joe Ryan’s breakthrough year is paying off.

The former Archie Williams High School pitcher in his most recent outing for the Minnesota Twins walked off with $500, and that was hours before he and his teammates walked off with a 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday.

Ryan left the ballpark with a fatter wallet than when he arrived as a result of a bet with his fellow starting pitchers that agreed to each pay out $100 for every foul ball they catch, The Pioneer Press reports.

Ryan made a catch in foul territory in the first inning against the second batter he faced.

“I’m glad we’re talking about this,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters after Sunday’s game.

“It means the game went real well and then we can move on to the side wagers and things like that.”

Ryan was a two-sport athlete at Archie Williams (2010/2011 to 2013/2014) when the school was called Sir Francis Drake High. He played varsity baseball for four years and water polo for two.

Ryan was originally signed by the San Francisco Giants in the 34th round of the 2014 amateur draft but he elected to play collegiately at Cal State Northridge and Cal State Stanislaus.

Ryan signed with the Tampa Bay Rays after they picked him in the seventh round of the 2018 draft before dealing him to Minnesota a trade involving Nelson Cruz.

Last month Ryan became Minnesota’s first rookie opening day starter since 1969.

Through seven starts, Ryan is 4-2 with a 2.39 ERA.

In Sunday’s start, he struck out five and walked none in six innings of four-hit in which he gave up one run.

“(The) heater felt good,” Ryan told reporters after Sunday’s game.

“Liked where I was putting that. Established that early and it just gave me options to go anywhere else, use my secondary stuff whenever I want. I like using my fastball and it was working, I (kept) riding with it.”

Read more in The Pioneer Press