WHEELER, RYAN  
 
Image of    Nickname:   N/A Position:   1B
Home: Torrance, Calif. Team:   Retired
Height: 6' 3" Bats:   L
Weight: 235 Throws:   R
DOB: 7/10/1988 Agent: CAA
Birth City: Torrance, Calif. Draft: Diamondbacks #5 - 2009 - Out of Loyola Marymount
Uniform #: N/A  
 
YR LEA TEAM SAL(K) G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO OBP SLG AVG
2009 MWL SOUTH BEND   8 29 4 10 1 1 1 5 0 1 5 4 .472 .552 .345
2009 NWL YAKIMA   64 234 44 85 19 3 5 36 7 4 37 28 .461 .534 .363
2010 CAL VISALIA   113 465 61 132 25 2 9 57 3 1 35 98 .340 .404 .284
2010 SL MOBILE   19 67 8 17 3 0 3 10 0 0 5 16 .315 .433 .254
2011 SL MOBILE   131 480 69 140 30 2 16 89 3 4 45 102 .356 .463 .292
2012 PCL RENO   93 362 56 127 27 4 15 90 3 1 26 67 .388 .572 .351
2012 NL DIAMONDBACKS   50 109 11 26 6 1 1 10 1 0 9 22 .294 .339 .239
2013 PCL COLORADO SPRINGS   116 438 74 134 29 2 12 89 4 1 31 91 .351 .463 .306
2013 NL ROCKIES   28 41 1 9 2 0 0 7 0 0 1 10 .238 .268 .220
2014 NL ROCKIES   31 56 6 13 2 0 2 13 0 0 5 12 .281 .375 .232
2014 PCL SALT LAKE   25 92 13 30 1 0 2 15 0 0 8 19 .373 .402 .326
2014 PCL COLORADO SPRINGS   59 210 18 51 9 0 4 20 0 2 15 43 .293 .343 .243
2015 PCL SALT LAKE   14 55 6 16 2 1 1 10 0 0 1 10 .304 .418 .291
2015 IL ROCHESTER   22 73 4 17 3 0 1 7 0 0 1 18 .243 .315 .233

  • Wheeler's parents both played basketball in college, his father for San Bernadino Valley and mother for the UCLA junior varsity team.

  • In 2006, Ryan graduated from Torrance (California) High School, hitting .454 with 30 RBI as a senior. He was also a basketball star for the school.

  • Wheeler chose a baseball scholarship to Loyola Marymount, majoring in business administration.

  • In the summer of 2008, Ryan hit .285 with 5 home runs in the Cape Cod League.

  • Wheeler signed with the Diamondbacks out of Loyola Marymount, for a bonus of $160,000 after they chose him in the 5th round in June, 2009. He was signed by scout Hal Kurtzman.

  • In 2009, Ryan led the Northwest League in on-base percentage (.461) and ranking second in batting (.363) and slugging (.538). He was named the Diamondback's minor league Player of the Year for 2009.

  • The Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Wheeler as the 8th-best prospect in the Diamondbacks organization in the winter before 2010 spring training. He was at #16 in the spring of 2011. They had Ryan as 18th-best prospect in the D'Backs farm system in the offseason before 2012 spring camps opened.

    They moved him back up to #10 after he was traded to the Rockies organization during the winter before 2013 spring training.

  • Wheeler has another skill, besides baseball. This talent is: beatboxing, the vocal thythmic percussion that needs to musical instruments.

    "I was than annoying kid who would tap on stuff in class," Ryan said. "The teacher always tod me to be quiet. I've always been able to kind of hear music well and be able to put sounds together; and I put sounds together, but I never really thought about making the sounds myself. I just started trying it out in high school, and then a couple guys from the basketball team took me under their wing. That's where it started."

    The beatboxing stuck, then baseball stuck, too. After an offer to play as a walk-0n for Loyola Marymount, Wheeler stepped off the basketball court and into the batter's box full-time.

  • Ryan Wheeler, Jason's older brother, has as a corner infielder in the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. Now with the Los Angeles Angels, Ryan was two years ahead of Jason at Loyola Marymount

    As far back as they can remember, they have challenged each other athletically, no matter the sport. They were teammates at Loyola Marymount.

  • Wheeler made his MLB debut in July 2012.

  • Wheeler took to YouTube in September 2013 to share another of his talents: beatboxing. (Check it out.)

  • 2015:  If baseball doesn’t work out for Ryan Wheeler, he already has a start on a second career.

    Wheeler, a corner infielder in camp with the Angels, proudly showed reporters on Tuesday morning a box of the powdered rehydration solution that he and his college friends have created. The product, Liquid IV, was developed in the past couple years, and it’s now available around Southern California, including at selected Whole Foods stores.

    Wheeler said some of his friends from Loyola Marymount developed the formula. They asked him for input from other professional athletes.

    “They brought me a bottle of it when I was at Dodger Stadium playing for the Rockies in 2013,” Wheeler said. “It was a prototype. I thought it was really good.”

    Wheeler said the group tried to get its product on “Shark Tank,” the reality show in which entrepreneurs pitch their products to investors.

    Wheeler said he has ideas for other new products he hopes to market in the future. In the meantime, he’s nursing a sore left quad and trying to win a bench spot with the Angels. (Jeff Fletcher - 3/17/2015)

    TRANSACTIONS

  • June 2009: The Diamondbacks chose Wheeler in the 5th round, out of Loyola Marymount.

  • November 21, 2012: The Rockies sent Matt Reynolds to the Diamondbacks, acquiring Wheeler.

  • August 2, 2014: The Angels claimed Wheeler off waivers from the Rockies.

  • May 15, 2015: A few days after the Angels released Ryan, the Twins signed him.

    July 1, 2015: Wheeler was released by the Twins.
PERSONAL:
 

  • Wheeler is a solid lefthanded hitter for both average and power. He drives the ball well to the opposite field and is developing more pull power. He reminds some scouts of Lance Berkman in the way he swings the bat from the left side. And he can drive the ball out of the big part of the park sometimes.

    He stands right on top of the plate and does a good job with plate coverage and using the whole field. He has a rhythmic, balanced lefthanded swing with strong wrists that help provide good leverage. (Spring 2013)

  • Ryan's bat is way ahead of his glove. He is an intelligent, confident hitter with a patient approach at the plate. He knows the strike zone and recognizes pitches well.

  • Wheeler's offensive skills reminds scouts of Joey Votto with his strong wrists and leverage in his swing.

  • Ryan talked about moving up to the Double-A Southern League in 2011:

    "The pitchers got a lot better, so you had to go to the plate with some type of plan—cutting the plate in half, looking for your pitch, looking middle-away and laying off offspeed pitches that you are seeing a lot more of," Wheeler said in October 2011. "Everyone gets better. Everyone's physical skills start to get a lot more similar, and that (mental approach) is what sets you apart as a hitter, as a defender.

    "I think Double-A, for me, that's when it really started to show that you needed it."
BATTING:
 

  • Ryan is a decent first baseman, providing fringe-average defense there. He has only fair range. His hands are very good, though. And he has a strong arm at first base.

  • Wheeler saw some action at 3rd base in college, but he is only adequate there, though he has enough arm for the postion.

    He might be too big for the hot corner and for left field, as well. He lacks the range you want at third base. And he is erratic.

    But Ryan made big strides at improving his agility and mobility in 2012. He now has nearly-average range at third base.
FIELDING:
 
  • Ryan is a below-average runner.
RUNNING:
 

  • July 11-21, 2014: Wheeler was on the D.L. with a left wrist impingement.
CAREER INJURY REPORT:
 
 
Last Updated 5/9/2019 9:52:00 PM. All contents © 2000 by Player Profiles. All rights reserved.