Ryan was a 38th round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 following two strong seasons at the University of the Pacific, where he played primarily as an outfielder. The 24-year-old slashed .271/.340/.333 in his first season with the Tigers in 2018, then raised his OPS more than 100 points with a breakout campaign the following year. Ryan finished 2019 with seven doubles, two triples, five home runs and 20 runs driven in, to go along with an improved walk rate that helped produce a .790 OPS.

After signing with the Dodgers, Ryan split the remainder of the 2019 season with two different rookie-level affiliates, playing 18 total games with the Dodgers Arizona League clubs. He recorded nine hits in 47 at-bats, spending time defensively at both catcher and first base.

The Dodgers released Ryan in July of 2020, and he quickly latched on with the four-team City of Champions Cup, a pop-up league hosted by the Joliet Slammers. The native of Canyon Country, California, played 16 games with the Nerds Herd, where he was teammates with former Railroaders pitcher Bubby Rossman. Over those 16 games, Ryan recorded six hits, including two doubles and a home run.

Prior to his time at Pacific, Ryan began his collegiate career at Cuesta College, where he played with his twin brother Jake. Their father Craig played seven seasons professionally, including experience in both Mexico and Japan.