By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Former Seaman and Kansas University standout Ryan Zeferjahn’s dream of pitching in the Major Leagues has come true, with Zeferjahn promoted to the Los Angeles Angels on August 22.
Ryan Zeferjahn's dream of pitching in the Major Leagues came true late last month when he was promoted by the California Angels. [Photo by Los Angeles Angels]
Prepared to pitch in a AAA game for the Angels’ affiliate in Salt Lake that day, Zeferjahn was summoned from the bullpen to the dugout.
“When that call comes, you don’t know if it’s going to be a good or a bad thing. You never know,” Zeferjahn said in a phone interview. “The manager and everyone was looking at me and he said, ‘You’re no longer needed here. You’re going to the big leagues.’ It was like my heart dropped and I was like ‘Oh my.’ ”
Zeferjahn quickly packed and took an overnight flight to Toronto in time for a three-game series with the Blue Jays. The whirlwind didn’t allow much time for reflection.
“You can always expect it, thinking, ‘Hopefully my chance is going to come soon.’ So, I thought the call might come. But it was cool to finally get my chance,” said the 2016 Seaman grad.
Once in Toronto, Zeferjahn waited two days to be summoned from the bullpen, which he noted helped calm his nerves and allowed him to settle in.
The call came on August 25, in the seventh inning, with the Angels trailing by a substantial amount. Adding to the excitement of his Major League debut was a unique game circumstance.
With two strikes on the Toronto batter, Angels’ pitcher Matt Moore suffered an elbow injury. Zeferjahn was called in to complete the at-bat, and in just one pitch, recorded a strikeout.
“I was pretty warm so when I got out there, I was ready to go,” Zeferjahn said. “And what better way to start than to have my first career pitch be a strikeout?”
The feat might just be the first of its kind in Major League Baseball history. Pitch tracking doesn’t go back very far, but according to the limited data available, no pitcher has every recorded a strikeout on his first big league pitch.
Zeferjahn’s first outing produced mixed results.
He struck out four Blue Jays but give up two walks and two earned runs in 1.2 innings in the low-pressure situation.
“It wasn’t the best game, but it was kind of a wash either way, good or bad,” the 26-year-old right-hander said. “I was just going to take everything from that and just move on no matter what. From there, I’ve learned some things and after getting my feet wet, I feel like things are going very well.”
Zeferjahn was able to share the moment with his mother and father, his girlfriend and his sister and her boyfriend.
From Toronto, the Angels traveled to Detroit, where Zeferjahn made his second appearance with more supporters in attendance. Former Seaman coach Steve Bushnell and current coaches Trent Oliva and Lance Dougan watched him throw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts against the Tigers on August 27.
“That was so cool to have my high school coaches drive up and be able to watch this part of my journey,” Zeferjahn said.
Zeferjahn made his Angels’ home debut against Seattle on August 30, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings with two more strikeouts.
After three seasons at KU, Zeferjahn was a third-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox. He worked his way up through the Red Sox’ system before finding himself part of a multi-player trade on July 30 that brought him to the Angels’ farm system. Once there, it took just five outings to earn the call up to the majors.
“I feel like I’m in the prime of my career. My stuff is the best it’s ever been. My body feels the best it’s ever felt,” Zeferjahn said. “I never gave up on the dream by thinking that I’m too old or that maybe this is not for me. I kept working hard and gave myself the opportunity for this.”
A former baseball and basketball star at Seaman, Zeferjahn has kept up a routine of returning to Topeka in the winters. He said he looks forward to a few months at home again this offseason.
“It’s good to get back and enjoy being at home,” Zeferjahn said. “I have so much support back in Topeka. People I haven’t talked to in years have reached out and wished me the best. So many people have helped me in my journey, and I can’t thank them enough.”
