Ryan Weingartner’s baseball journey has taken him from St. Joe’s to Penn State to MLB draft pick

The shortstop, who grew up in Berlin, New Jersey, was selected in the eighth round of July's Major League Baseball draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ryan Weingartner starred for two seasons at St. Joe's before transferring to Penn State for his junior season.Read moreJason E. Miczek / AP

by Ethan Kopelman

Published Sept. 2, 2025, 5:00 a.m. ET

From growing up in Berlin, N.J., to getting drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals, Ryan Weingartner’s family has influenced his entire baseball journey.

It was Ryan’s grandfather who introduced him to the New York Yankees, the team the shortstop grew up rooting for while living in South Jersey. Weingartner’s father, Bill, a St. Joseph’s Baseball Hall of Famer, then introduced him to playing the sport. And while Weingartner initially committed to play college baseball at Purdue, he ultimately pivoted to following his father’s footsteps to Hawk Hill.

“I kind of switched my thoughts about going [to Purdue] with the distance and the unknown of the next head coach,” Weingartner explained.

But it wasn’t just his father’s connection to St. Joe’s that caused Weingartner to stay home. He had previously fostered a relationship with then-associate head coach Ryan Wheeler.

“Before I was 14, I went to a team camp over there, and he was like, ‘Yeah, you’re a pretty good player, maybe one day you’ll get to play at this level, or even St Joe’s.’ And me and him would talk every Monday night … for two hours,” Weingartner said. “But getting to know him and having that kind of connection is what helped me get to St. Joes.”

Weingartner, who commuted 35 minutes to attend St. Augustine Prep in Richland for high school, didn’t have to go much farther to attend college. And the shortstop seemed to relish playing near home on Hawk Hill. During his sophomore season, Weingartner led the Hawks in home runs (15) and total bases (136) and earned an All-Atlantic 10 nod, all while posting a .316 batting average and a .410 on-base percentage.

But following that season, Wheeler left the program to become director of player development at Penn State. Weingartner followed him.

“I just wanted to play at the highest level I could, and Penn State is what caught my eye … and obviously, Wheels going over there had an influence on my decision. You know, Penn State is my home, and I love that,” Weingartner said.

Weingartner’s stats during his lone season at Penn State weren’t as eye-popping as the numbers he posted during his two years on Hawk Hill, but that could be expected with a step up in competition. This past season, he hit .250 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs, and also stole a career-high 30 bases.

But getting to play Big Ten baseball helped raise Weingartner’s profile nationally and subsequently improved his draft stock. Weingartner, who was picked in the eighth round in July, was the second-highest Nittany Lion selected this season.

After getting drafted by St. Louis, Weingartner reported to Roger Dean Stadium, which hosts the Redbirds’ spring training complex as well as its Florida State League team, the Palm Beach Cardinals, in Jupiter, Fla.

“This is just the first step. So getting out there and knocking some rust off after not playing all summer, it’s been really fun,” Weingartner said. “I feel as if I’m getting a lot better, and I’m just enjoying my time playing with these new people.”

As Weingartner, 21, begins his ascent to the big leagues, he has appreciated the level of instruction available to him in Palm Beach. He was hitting .164 with three RBIs through 16 games.

“[There’s] a lot of great coaches, former big leaguers, in our ears at all times, kind of helping us push through the system,” he said.

But Weingartner is eager to learn from anyone, not just coaches and more senior players. Someone he has already sought out is catcher Rainiel Rodriguez, who, at just 18 years old, is the Cardinals’ No. 4 prospect.

“I’ve been picking around the team, grasping as much information as I can,” he said. “And [Rodriguez is] definitely a guy that I lean toward to kind of help me out, which is funny, because he’s the youngest player on the team.”

Weingartner’s pro career may be in its infant stages, but he remains grounded in the foundation that has brought him this far and driven by his family. He hopes it will all culminate with him achieving his ultimate goal of reaching the big leagues one day.