He played eight seasons in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.

He received an $11,000 signing bonus, forgoing an offer to play college baseball for the Maine Black Bears.

[1] He worked his way through the Red Sox minor league system and made his MLB debut on August 31, 1992.

[1][3][4] On January 29, 1996, he was traded with Lee Tinsley and Glenn Murray to the Philadelphia Phillies for Heathcliff Slocumb, Larry Wimberly, and Rick Holifield.

[10] Ryan is the owner of the KR Baseball Academy, an instructional facility for young players, in Lincoln, Rhode Island.