Ryan Weathers is continuing a family tradition by pitching for the New York Yankees, following in the footsteps of his father, David Weathers. Ryan recalls being about six years old when he first realized what his father did for a living and had the opportunity to explore Major League Baseball clubhouses.
He remembers trying on his father’s World Series rings from the 1992 Blue Jays and the 1996 Yankees, noting that even as a child, he sensed their significance. “That was the first time I realized how cool a World Series ring was,” Weathers said. “Now it’s even cooler to me, because I’m in it. It makes you understand why this has been such a successful organization for a long time.”
David Weathers joined the Yankees during their 1996 championship season after being acquired from the Marlins at the trade deadline. Although he initially struggled, he played an important role in the postseason with an 0.82 ERA over 11 innings. One highlight included escaping a jam against Texas in Game 4 of the American League Division Series and contributing in Game 6 of the World Series.
Ryan shared that his father often spoke about “how loud Yankee Stadium was” and described playing there as “fun” during a World Series run.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone also reflected on David Weathers’ impact as a teammate: “If Ryan is half the teammate his dad was, we’ll be in good shape,” Boone said. “He’s got a big arm, a lot of talent and he’s really athletic. I think he has only really scratched the surface of what he can do at the big league level.”
Ryan Weathers joined New York via trade from Miami earlier this year and says that being part of such an organization is special. He has also benefited from conversations with former Yankee Andy Pettitte, who recently visited spring training as an instructor.
“It’s so cool, all the guys that come back around here,” Weathers said. “You don’t get that anywhere else. Pettitte helped me a lot with my thought process. He’s like, ‘It’s OK to pull your foot off the throttle.’ He’s helping me learn how to pitch.”
Weathers emphasized advice given by Pettitte about managing pressure on the mound: “When you’re out there on the mound, you’re on an island. You’ve got to be able to think your way through. I’d be dumb not to take advice from a guy that’s done it at the pinnacle for as long as he did.”
Reflecting on advice from his father about playing in New York, Ryan said: “My dad told me, ‘Have fun. There’s no place like playing in New York,’” adding that focusing on getting ahead of batters will help him have success this season.