PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Since he was taken by the Rays in the first round of the 2013 Draft, Ryne Stanek has bided his time in the Minors and waited for his break. This spring, it appears the wait may nearly be over.
"It's been a long road," he said. "[I] definitely had to be patient."
Patience has been an acquired taste for the St. Louis native, who's named after Cubs Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg because, "My dad liked the way he played."
Pitching is this Ryne's ticket to the Majors, following a bumpy road in the Minor Leagues.