Ryan Strieby: The Slugger Who Put Kentucky Baseball on the Map
2006 SEC Player of the Year – A Historic Season
Ryan Strieby (2004–06) delivered one of the greatest individual campaigns in Kentucky baseball history, powering the Wildcats to their first-ever SEC Championship in 2006. His monstrous numbers that year still stand among the program’s best:
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.352 AVG, 20 HR, 77 RBI (led team in all three)
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22 doubles, .704 SLG%, .473 OBP (team highs)
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164 total bases (top-5 single-season mark at UK)
Awards & Accolades
🏆 SEC Player of the Year (first in UK history)
⭐ First-Team All-American (Baseball America, NCBWA, Louisville Slugger)
🌎 All-South Region First Team (ABCA)
⚾ All-SEC First Team
Professional Career & Legacy
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4th-round MLB Draft pick (Detroit Tigers, 2006)
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10 seasons in minor leagues, reaching Triple-A
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Set the standard for power hitters at Kentucky—his 2006 season remains the gold standard for offensive production
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Proved UK could develop elite talent in the hyper-competitive SEC