| Ryan Jensen | |
|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:November 23, 1997 Monterey, California, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right |
Ryan Austin Jensen (born November 23,1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization. He played college baseball at Fresno State University. [1] [2] [3]
Jensen attended Salinas High School in Salinas,California. In 2016,as a senior,he went 2–5 with a 2.75 ERA. [4] He was not drafted in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft,thus enrolling at Fresno State University. He struggled as a freshman in 2017 and as a sophomore in 2018,posting ERAs of 6.60 and 5.35,respectively. [5] He broke out as a junior in 2019,going 12–1 with a 2.88 ERA in 16 games and being named Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year. [6] [7]
Jensen was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the 27th overall pick in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. [8] [9] [10] He signed with the Cubs for $2 million and was assigned to the Low-A Eugene Emeralds. [11] [12] [13] Over six starts for Eugene,Jensen compiled a 2.25 ERA,striking out 19 over 12 innings. [14] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [15]
Jensen split the 2021 season between the High-A South Bend Cubs and Double-A Tennessee Smokies,going 3–7 with a 4.16 ERA and ninety strikeouts over eighty innings. [16] He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Mesa Solar Sox after the season. [17] Jensen returned to Tennessee for the 2022 season,making 17 starts in which he recorded a 2-4 record and 4.25 ERA with 60 strikeouts across 59+1⁄3 innings pitched. On November 15, 2022, the Cubs added Jensen to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. [18]
Jensen was optioned to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies to begin the 2023 season. [19] In 30 games split between Tennessee and the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, he accumulated a 2–7 record and 5.77 ERA with 66 strikeouts over 53 innings of work. [20]
On August 8, 2023, Jensen was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners. [21] In 13 games for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, he pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 12 strikeouts across 11+1⁄3 innings of work. On November 22, Jensen was designated for assignment by the Mariners. [22]
On November 27, 2023, Jensen was claimed off waivers by the Miami Marlins. [23] On December 20, Jensen was designated for assignment following the acquisition of Roddery Muñoz. [24]
Jensen was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins on January 4, 2024. [25] The Twins designated him for assignment on February 2, 2024, [26] and later sent him outright to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints after he cleared waivers on February 6. [27] In 44 appearances (three starts) for St. Paul, Jensen compiled a 4-5 record and 4.76 ERA with 81 strikeouts across 56+2⁄3 innings pitched.
Jensen made 21 appearances for Triple-A St. Paul in 2025, struggling to a 2-4 record and 6.59 ERA with 39 strikeouts across 28+2⁄3 innings pitched. Jensen was released by the Twins organization on June 25, 2025. [28]
On July 3, 2025, Jensen signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs. [29]