Ryan Patrick O'Hearn (born July 26, 1993) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

for the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

and

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

. In 2025, O'Hearn was named to his first

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

game.

Amateur career

O'Hearn graduated from

Wakeland High School Justin Wakeland High School is a public high school located in Frisco, Texas, United States. It is classified as a 5A school by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). It is a part of the Frisco Independent School District, and is one of twel ...

Frisco, Texas Frisco is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Collin County, Texas, Collin and Denton County, Texas, Denton counties. It is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex (DFW) and about from both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth In ...

. As a senior, he hit .505 with 15 home runs and 55

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBI), earning a spot on Baseball America's second team High School All-American team. He was not drafted out of high school in the

2011 MLB draft The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the fi ...

and he enrolled and played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

Sam Houston State University Sam Houston State University (Sam Houston, SHSU or Sam) is a public research university in Huntsville, Texas, United States. Founded in 1879, it is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools wes ...

. In 2014, his junior season, he batted .292 with eight home runs and 44 RBIs in 62 games.

Professional career

Kansas City Royals

The

selected O'Hearn in the eighth round of the

2014 Major League Baseball draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

. He signed and spent 2014 with the

Idaho Falls Chukars The Idaho Falls Chukars are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and play their home games at Melaleu ...

, batting .361(5th in the Pioneer League)/.444(5th)/.590(5th) in 249 at bats with 61 runs (leading the Pioneer League), 16 doubles (6th), 13 home runs (3rd), and 54 RBIs (4th), 39 walks (3rd), in 64 games. He was named Pioneer League MVP and a postseason all-star. O'Hearn started 2015 with the

Lexington Legends The Lexington Legends are an American professional baseball team based in Lexington, Kentucky. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Legends have ...

, and after batting .277 with 19 home runs and 56 RBIs in 314 at bats, and being named a mid-season all star, was promoted to the

Wilmington Blue Rocks The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and play their home games at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. Fra ...

where he finished the season, posting a .236 batting average with eight home runs and 21 RBIs. He spent 2016 with both Wilmington and the

Northwest Arkansas Naturals The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springdale, Arkansas, Springdale, Arkansas. The team is a member of the Texas League, and serves as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. T ...

, slashing a combined .275/.351/.478 with 22 home runs and 78 RBIs in 134 total games between both teams, and 2017 with the

Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, Nebraska, Omah ...

and Northwest Arkansas, batting a combined .253 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs in 133 total games. O'Hearn was called up to the major leagues on July 31, 2018, and hit a home run in his first game. He ended the 2018 MLB season batting .262/.353/.597 in 149 at bats with 12 home runs and 30 RBIs in 44 games. He struggled offensively in 2019 at the MLB level, hitting only .195 with 14 home runs and 38 RBI, while at Class AAA Omaha he batted .295/.383/.597 in 129 at bats with 9 home runs and 28 RBIs. On July 7, 2020, it was announced that O'Hearn had tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. Overall with the 2020 Kansas City Royals, O'Hearn batted .195 in 113 at bats with two home runs and 18 RBIs in 42 games. In 2021, with the Omaha Storm Chasers, he batted .375/.451/.931 with 15 home runs and 25 RBIs in 72 at bats. With the Royals, he batted .225/.268/.369 with 9 home runs and 29 RBIs in 84 games. He was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

on December 28, 2022, creating a roster spot filled when the Royals signed

Jordan Lyles Jordan Horton Lyles (born October 19, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a Free agency (Major League Baseball), free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies, S ...

Baltimore Orioles

On January 3, 2023, O'Hearn was traded to the

in exchange for cash considerations. On January 5, O’Hearn was designated for assignment by Baltimore following the waiver claim of

Lewin Díaz Lewin José Díaz (born November 19, 1996) is a Dominican professional baseball first baseman for the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins. Career Minnesota Twins Díaz s ...

. On January 12, O'Hearn was sent outright to the Triple-A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

. O'Hearn hit .375 with 3 home runs in 40 at-bats in spring training, but was ultimately reassigned to Triple-A Norfolk to begin the season. At Norfolk, he batted .354/.404/.729 in 48 at-bats with four home runs and 13 RBI. On April 13, 2023, the Orioles selected O'Hearn's contract, adding him to the major league roster. He made his Orioles debut in an 8–7 win over the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

that afternoon was his first three-RBI game in two years. He has had four RBI in at least two away games during the season. The first was in a 10-inning 6–5 victory over the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

on May 20, highlighted by his three-run homer off

Jordan Romano Jordan Robert Romano (born April 21, 1993) is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays. High school and college Romano atten ...

that tied the contest at 5–5 in the eighth. The other was in a 14–1 triumph over the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

on July 6. O'Hearn was cheaply acquired from the Royals, and as such was not expected to play regularly, other than as a left-handed

pinch-hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, Am ...

to face right-handed pitchers. At the end of May, O'Hearn had only recorded 48 plate appearances, appearing in 17 out of 43 possible Orioles games. His strong showing in these opportunities, with a .615 slugging percentage in May, as well as

Ryan Mountcastle Ryan Lee Mountcastle (born February 18, 1997) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020. Amateur career Mountcastle attended Hagerty High School ...

missing a month due to symptoms of

vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

, led to more playing time as the season continued. In addition to benefiting from new MLB rules designed to reduce the effectiveness of the shift, O'Hearn was noted for his ability to consistently hit the ball with power, with a high rate of hard-hit balls as measured by the exit velocity of the ball off of the bat. In 2023, he recorded an average exit velocity of 91.9 mph, with over half of his batted balls hit at 95 mph or more. These numbers placed him in the 89th and 94th percentile of hitters respectively. O'Hearn set a career-high for hits in a game when he had 5 hits, going 5-5 at the plate, in an 8–7 away win over the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

on September 18. In 2023 with the Orioles he batted .289/.322/.480 with 14 home runs and 60 RBI in 346 at-bats, while stealing five bases in six attempts. O'Hearn was recognised by fans as a key contributor and an affordable yet dependable platoon hitter.

San Diego Padres

References

External links

Sam Houston State Bearcats bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:OHearn, Ryan 1993 births Living people 21st-century American sportsmen American League All-Stars Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from Collin County, Texas Idaho Falls Chukars players Kansas City Royals players Lexington Legends players Major League Baseball first basemen Norfolk Tides players Northwest Arkansas Naturals players Omaha Storm Chasers players Sam Houston Bearkats baseball players Sportspeople from Frisco, Texas Surprise Saguaros players Wilmington Blue Rocks players