Ryan Michael Jeffers (born June 3, 1997) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
for the
Minnesota Twins of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB).
Amateur career
Jeffers attended
Sanderson High School in
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southe ...
. In 2016, his senior year, he hit .398 with two home runs. Undrafted in the
2016 Major League Baseball draft
The 2016 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft began on June 9, 2016, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams.
The draft order is the reverse order of the 2015 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks will be di ...
, he enrolled at the
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW or UNC Wilmington) is a public research university in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina System and enrolls 17,499 undergraduate and graduate students eac ...
where he
walked-on their baseball team.
In 2017, Jeffers' freshman year at UNCW, he appeared in only 13 games, but hit .348 with one home run and five RBIs. That summer, he played in the
Coastal Plain League
The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from the Class D level Coastal League which operated in the area from 19 ...
for the
Wilmington Sharks
The Wilmington Sharks are an American baseball team in the East Division of the Coastal Plain League (CPL), a collegiate summer baseball league. The Sharks play their home games at Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium in Wilmington, North Car ...
. As a sophomore in 2018, he started 52 of 53 games and batted .328 with ten home runs and 32 RBIs, earning First-Team All-
CAA honors. After the season, he played for the
Upper Valley Nighthawks of the
New England Collegiate Baseball League
The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is a 13-team collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 44-game schedule during June ...
where he earned All-Star honors. In 2018, Jeffers' junior season at UNCW, he slashed .315/.460/.635 with 16 home runs and 59 RBIs over 62 starts, earning a First-Team All-CAA selection for the second consecutive year.
Professional career
After his junior year, Jeffers was selected by the
Minnesota Twins in the second round with the 59th overall selection of the
2018 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Twins and made his professional debut with the
Elizabethton Twins before he was promoted to the
Cedar Rapids Kernels
The Cedar Rapids Kernels are Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and play their home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Kernels are owned ...
in July.
Over 64 games between the two clubs, he slashed .344/.444/.502 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs.
In 2019, he began the year with the
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Fort Myers, Florida, and play their home games at the Lee County Sports Complex at H ...
, with whom he was named a
Florida State League All-Star, before being promoted to the
Pensacola Blue Wahoos
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are based in Pensacola, Florida, and play their home games at Admiral Fetterman Field. In 2012, the team rel ...
in July, with whom he finished the season. Playing in 103 total games with both teams, Jeffers batted .264/.341/.421 with 14 home runs and 49 RBIs.
On August 20, 2020, Jeffers’ contract was selected by the Twins to the active roster. He made his major league debut that same day against the
Milwaukee Brewers, recording two hits including one RBI over three at-bats in a 7–1 win. He finished the season batting .273/.355/.436 with three home runs and seven RBIs over 26 games. In 2021 for the Twins, Jeffers slashed .199/.270/.401 with 14 home runs and 35 RBIs over 85 games.
Personal life
Jeffers and his wife, Lexi, married in 2019.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeffers, Ryan
1997 births
Living people
Baseball players from Raleigh, North Carolina
Major League Baseball catchers
Minnesota Twins players
UNC Wilmington Seahawks baseball players
Elizabethton Twins players
Cedar Rapids Kernels players
Fort Myers Miracle players
Pensacola Blue Wahoos players