Ryan Pepiot Bio
Ryan Michael Pepiot is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball. He made his MLB debut in 2022 with the Los Angeles Dodgers after a collegiate career at Butler University where he established program strikeout records.
Early Life and Background
Ryan Michael Pepiot was born on August 21, 1997, in Indianapolis, Indiana, and grew up in Westfield, Indiana. He attended Westfield High School, where he played baseball, basketball, and football and earned Class 5-A All-State honors as a quarterback in football during his senior year.
Pepiot’s athleticism at Westfield set the stage for his baseball focus in college. He enrolled at Butler University and developed into a leading collegiate pitcher while also drawing attention from professional scouts due to his strikeout totals and durability on the mound.
Path to Baseball
Pepiot progressed through Butler University’s baseball program over three seasons, compiling strikeout numbers that set program marks. After his sophomore year he played collegiate summer baseball with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod Baseball League, a frequent proving ground for future major leaguers.
Following a junior season in which he struck out a school-record 126 batters and finished his Butler career as the program leader with 306 strikeouts, Pepiot entered the 2019 MLB draft and was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round.
Ryan Pepiot Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
After the 2019 draft the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Pepiot and assigned him to the Arizona League Dodgers before promoting him to the Class-A Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League. Across those two levels in his first professional season he made 13 appearances, including 10 starts, and posted a 1.93 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 23.1 innings.
Pepiot advanced through the Dodgers’ system over the next two seasons. He opened the 2021 campaign on the Double-A Tulsa Drillers staff where he posted strong strikeout totals and a sub-3.00 ERA before a promotion to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers later that year.
Los Angeles Dodgers Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Pepiot began the 2022 season with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers and started the year with a 2.05 ERA in six starts, recording 36 strikeouts. The Dodgers promoted him to the major leagues on May 11, 2022, and he made his MLB debut that day as the starting pitcher against the Pittsburgh Pirates, striking out the first batter he faced and working three scoreless innings.
He recorded his first major league victory on July 5, 2022, against the Colorado Rockies. Over the 2022 season Pepiot made a combination of starts for the Dodgers and for Oklahoma City, finishing the Major League portion with a 3–0 record and a 3.47 ERA while compiling a 9–1 record and a 2.56 ERA at Triple-A.
Pepiot entered 2023 with expectations to join the Dodgers’ starting rotation but opened the year on the injured list after straining his left oblique in spring training. After limited minor league work and recovery he returned to Los Angeles on August 19, 2023, and appeared in a mix of starts and bulk relief outings that season, posting a 2–1 record and a 2.14 ERA in his major league appearances.
Tampa Bay Rays Era (2024–Present)
On December 16, 2023, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded Pepiot and outfielder Jonny DeLuca to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot. Pepiot joined the Rays’ staff for the 2024 season and established himself as a key member of the pitching staff.
During the 2024 season Pepiot recorded the 115th immaculate inning in MLB history on September 18, 2024, delivering three strikeouts on nine pitches in a single inning against the Boston Red Sox, the fourth immaculate inning in Tampa Bay Rays history. The following season Pepiot was named the Rays’ Opening Day starter in 2025 and delivered six innings in that start, taking a no-decision in a 3–2 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Driving Style and Strengths
Pepiot profiles as a strikeout-oriented pitcher with a record of high swing-and-miss totals dating to his collegiate career and continuing through his major league seasons. He has shown the ability to work multiple innings as a starter and, when needed, to serve in long relief or “bulk” relief roles, allowing the pitching staff flexibility in deployment.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Pepiot’s career include his MLB debut on May 11, 2022, his first big-league win on July 5, 2022, the December 2023 trade that sent him to Tampa Bay, the immaculate inning on September 18, 2024, and his role as the Rays’ Opening Day starter in 2025.
Ryan Pepiot Career Wins
Through the 2025 season Pepiot’s Major League record stood at 24 wins and 21 losses with a 3.54 earned run average and 389 strikeouts, reflecting his contributions as a starting pitcher and multi-inning option. Those totals span his work with both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays at the Major League level.
MLB Highlights
Pepiot’s first MLB win on July 5, 2022, against the Colorado Rockies marked the first full affirmation of his transition from the minors to the majors. His 2022 season included seven starts and a clean 3–0 record for the Dodgers at the major league level, and his 2024 immaculate inning stands as a signature single-game performance.
Other Wins & Perfromances
In the minor leagues and in college Pepiot recorded several standout seasons that supported his rise. He finished the 2022 Triple-A campaign with a 9–1 record and a 2.56 ERA for Oklahoma City, and at Butler University he set single-season and career strikeout marks that drew draft-day attention.
Ryan Pepiot Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Pepiot was raised in Westfield, Indiana, after his birth in Indianapolis, but public records in the provided materials do not include details on parents or wider family lineage. The focus of available public records is on his athletic development through high school and college.
Personal Life
Pepiot attended Westfield High School and Butler University, where his academic and athletic balance supported his progression to professional baseball. There are no verified public records in the provided sources identifying a spouse or children.
2025 Season Performance
During the 2025 season Pepiot began as the Tampa Bay Rays’ Opening Day starter and delivered six innings in that assignment, leaving with a no-decision in a 3–2 team victory. His role with the Rays through the 2025 season combined starting assignments and durable multi-inning outings, contributing to the club’s rotation depth and bullpen management.
Across his Major League service time through 2025 Pepiot’s statistical profile reflects his strikeout capability and his ability to produce quality innings. As a member of the Rays’ staff he remained a candidate for rotation roles while also providing options in lengthier relief appearances when team strategy required flexibility.