Interview with Ryan Dromboski - 2023 Ivy League Pitcher of the Year

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Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Ivy League Pitcher of the year, Ryan Dromboski, about baseball and other topics. Just a few minutes into our talk, I could tell this young man is destined for greatness. The enthusiasm in which he talks about the game he loves, along with the maturity and confidence, all point to it. The University of Pennsylvania is favored to win the Ivy League title this year in no small part to the role Ryan is projected to play. He’s definitely a name to keep in mind for when he’s eligible for your FYPDs.

Bps: Ryan, thanks for agreeing to talk with me today. We’re excited to get to know you and give our readers the chance to learn more about you. So far in your career, what has been your biggest achievement?

RD: I was Ivy League Pitcher of the Year and the first freshman or sophomore in 13 years to do it. I had no reason to think about that going into the year because I was just looking for more innings pitched and to get more playing time, and never thought about the award. After a couple good starts against Princeton and Brown I thought it was possible. When the news came, I was awestruck and amazed and honored to have won it. My mindset this year is to prepare to be ready for my team. We’re being predicted to get a clean sweep of yearly awards for the Ivy League which is great. But I have come to know, by playing baseball as long as I have, that showing up is what matters and making sure everyone is on the same cylinders.

Bps: What does your preparation look like during the off-season?

RD: Usually I start at the end of October or early November after our coach lets us shut down for a month. Towards the beginning of December I start to reload and play some catch to keep it loose. When the new year hits, I put the pedal to the metal and start pens with more intensity to build my endurance and feel for my pitches. Off-season is a little different than during season but I find my motivation by thinking there’s always someone out there who’s trying to take my job, so I have to practice and prepare harder and harder. I train with some previous coaches and can’t wait to show my UPenn coaches what I’ve learned and show them the results of my training.

Bps: What would you say is the biggest difference between high school and college ball?

RD: Everyone is better. Much better. Freshman year, I learned this because I was trying to be too perfect. These guys are too good and I felt like I had to make the perfect pitch. I was always fearful of giving up a hit because these guys are two to three years older than me and can put the ball out of the yard anytime. The biggest jump was understanding my stuff is still super-good and I have to take the mentality that I’m getting this guy out and if he beats me, he got lucky. Going into sophomore year, I played for Trenton in ACBL and I felt like I could compete with the best of the best. How can I think that I am not good? I’ve been doing it my whole life and I’m throwing more often and getting a feel for my stuff better. Pitchers have that advantage. Believe in your stuff. Remember who you are and you don’t need to be perfect to stand out. And I’ve learned that the more you make good pitches, the more trust you have in those pitches.

Bps: Since you’ve been in the game, what has been the best advice given to you?

RD: There are a few great pieces of advice I’ve heard. First, is to be good more often and have that good be done by more people for the team to succeed. I have a close relationship with my trainer, Michael, and one of the methods he taught me is the KISS method – keep it simple, stupid. A lot of pitchers question what to pitch at what time, but just remember who you are and throw the strike and trust it will be a good pitch. I also like Yogi Berra’s saying, “it ain’t over until it’s over.” It doesn’t matter where the season is or how poorly you may be doing, it’s never over until the season ends and how you go about dealing with any failures and how you bounce back.

Bps: What is your favorite baseball movie and why?

RD: Major League. I’m a sucker for that movie. Ricky Vaughn is an idol of mine. I love the energy he brings to the game in the movie. There were just so many fun scenes in it too.

Bps: How do you like living in the city of Philadelphia?

RD: I love it. It’s awesome. It’s different from where I grew up in Columbus, NJ where you couldn’t walk to get anywhere and the closest place was the Farmer’s Market. Here, in Philly, you can walk or Uber anywhere and get there so quickly. The food and restaurants are amazing and being so close to Citizens Bank Park is so cool to get to games every summer.

Bps: What would you tell the fans of the team lucky enough to draft you to expect from you when you get the call to the majors?

RD: Expect a lot of energy! I’m a guy who is going to give my blood, sweat and tears to the organization. I will always make time for fans because I know what it’s like to be a fan wanting an autograph and I will appreciate all they do whether it’s filling the stadium, buying merchandise and giving support to the team. They will get passion and energy from me and there’s no reason I shouldn’t be giving 100% energy to the team.

2023 Ivy League Pitcher of the Year and First-Team All-Ivy honoree, Ryan Dromboski from @PennBaseball, is expected to join @harborhawks this summer: https://t.co/ieBzDDcg6u Last spring, Dromboski went 7-3 with a 3.17 ERA, had 97 K over 71 innings, with a .197 OBA and 1.21 WHIP.

— CodBall (@codball) February 4, 2024

Bps: Is there any particular team you are hoping to play for?

RD: I’m the biggest Phillies fan in the entire world. In fact, when I was born, my first set of pajamas was a Phillies uniform. Even though I am a big Phillies fan, I wouldn’t mind going to any team and they will get the biggest fan of the team.

Bps: Ryan, thank you again for talking with me today. I’ll definitely be seeing you at some games this season and my colleague, Adam Greene, will be covering the Cape Cod League and I’m sure he’s going to be seeing a lot of you there, too.

RD: It was great talking to you and can’t wait to see you at the park!

Tony Bps

Tony Bps Spina is a lifelong baseball fan hailing from the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia! Tony has loved baseball since 1980 and has followed the Phillies through good and bad times. Tony is married with 3 kids and works for a financial institution but has enough free time to play in 20 fantasy baseball leagues with 75% of them being Dynasty Leagues. He lives a few blocks away from Citizens Bank Park and attends many Phillies games per year in addition to their minor league teams in Lehigh Valley and Reading. He can be reached on Twitter at @TonyBps1.