Former Kentucky baseball star Ryan Waldschmidt gets called up by Arizona Diamondbacks

In two months, the 2026 MLB Draft will arrive. Kentucky star shortstop Tyler Bell is an expected first-round pick if he declares. Bell will be the program’s first selection in draft since 2024. Bell will look to follow a similar path.

After just a couple of seasons in the minor leagues, Ryan Waldschmidt officially got the call on Friday. The 23-year-old is now in the big leagues.

In less than two years, @ryanwaldy21 is in the bigs! Congrats, Waldy!#CatsinthePros pic.twitter.com/y2JAs9QOYX
— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) May 8, 2026

Welcome to The Show, Waldy! pic.twitter.com/jk7zALS162
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 9, 2026

Ryan Waldschmidt makes the most important phone call of his life 📞@dbacks | @milb | @ryanwaldy21 pic.twitter.com/tXdhDApjcf
— Reno Aces (@Aces) May 8, 2026

“You guys better book your flights to Phoenix,” Waldschmidt told his parents after get got the news.

The Bradenton (Fla.) Braden River product started his college baseball career at Charleston Southern where he hit nine home runs and 43 RBI as a freshman. Ryan Waldschmidt then entered the transfer portal and landed at Kentucky in 2023. Waldschmidt hit .290 with 20 extra-base hits in his first year at UK on a super regional team. The outfielder then suffered a torn ACL while playing summer baseball but that did not stop him from making a big splash as a junior in 2024. Waldschmidt slashed .333/.469/.610 with 17 doubles and 14 home runs on a College World Series team. That ultimately led to a big opportunity in professional baseball.

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Ryan Waldschmidt with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. After a strong 2025 run in Double-A where Waldschmidt hit .309 across 300 plate appearances with 14 doubles and nine home runs at Amarillo, Waldschmidt began this season in Triple-A and slashed .287/.400/.477 with nine doubles, three triples, and three home runs. That ultimately led to his first big break.

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Waldschmidt immediately made a splash with a pinch-hit single in the eighth inning of a tie game in his MLB debut.

He wasted no time. pic.twitter.com/JWlLVbmB4c
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 9, 2026

“Obviously, walking up to the plate, you know, taking it all in,” Waldschmidt said about his first plate appearance. “The fans were pretty loud and cheering for me. And once I saw the first pitch, it was just the game of baseball again.”

Ryan Waldschmidt was the top farm system product in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. The former Kentucky standout will not get an extended look in the big leagues and has a great chance to become a permanent every day player in the NL West.