Ryan Peterson didn’t exactly grow up in a baseball hotbed. Shiner is a town of about 2,000, and its claim to fame is a simple one: “The cleanest little city in Texas.”
Peterson, though, has bigger branding ideas in mind. If he has his way, the Marlins right-hander will make the place known as “ Ryan Peterson’s hometown.”
Miami took Peterson out of Sam Houston State this year in the supplemental second round, and the numbers explain why. He posted a 3.38 ERA, the second-lowest mark among Conference USA starters, and his 105 strikeouts were also second in the league. His 88 innings ranked third in CUSA.
That kind of production fits with the way Peterson talks about himself. He doesn’t sound like someone content to blend in.
“They’re going to get a major league pitcher,” Peterson said when asked what Marlins fans can expect of him. “I’m ultra-competitive, and I love baseball.”
The confidence has been there, but the path was anything but easy. Even with success at Shiner High and a pro-looking frame at 6-foot-3, Peterson drew only two scholarship offers. The other came from Abilene Christian.
His college career took time to settle. In 2024, he worked out of the bullpen for Sam Houston State. Before that, as a sophomore starter, he took the ball every weekend but endured a rough year, going 2-9 with a 6.29 ERA for a 12-43 Bearkats team.
Then everything clicked in 2026. Peterson one-hit Western Kentucky in a 110-pitch shutout. He also held Oklahoma State to one run while striking out 11 in five innings.
The stuff matches the results. Peterson leans on a 92-95 mph four-seam fastball, usually working it up in the zone. He pairs it with a two-seam fastball that has sink, giving hitters a different look off the heater.
His go-to offspeed pitch is a 79-83 mph slider that tracking systems often call a curveball.
“It’s my putaway pitch,” Peterson said. “I can freeze batters. I’ve had the pitch since before high school, and I continue to tweak it.”
He also mixes in an 84-87 mph cutter, which some systems classify as a slider.
Bearkats coach Jay Sirianni sees a pitcher whose arm talent is only part of the package. Peterson now weighs 215 pounds, and Sirianni pointed to both the breaking ball and the mindset behind it.
“He can really spin the breaking ball, and if his gloveside heater is working, everything takes off from there,” Sirianni said. “But it’s more about his work ethic and competitiveness.
“I think ‘Petey’ will move fast through Miami’s system. He’s a big sponge.”
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