NEW HOME — Hitting a home run ranks as one of Ryder Starkey’s favorite things in sports. He has a lot of experience in that department, too.
The New Home standout belted nine homers this season as part of an offensive onslaught. Starkey led the country in RBIs and notched a hit in better than half of his at-bats.
It continued an upward trajectory for Starkey, whose play has gotten better each of his three years in high school. He set a high bar for next season, which he’ll enter as the reigning Lubbock Avalanche-Journal baseball player of the year.
“Hitting the ball knowing you really put all you had into it and hitting it far, it’s a good moment in baseball and in all of sports,” Ryder said. “It’s one of the top moments I’ve had in all of sports is hitting a homer.”
Starkey doesn’t approach the batter’s box chasing a long ball. The 2026 senior said he’s looking to drive something into the right-center gap, and home runs are simply the byproduct of a good swing.
The numbers back that up.
Starkey batted .545 with a 1.136 slugging percentage. Of his 60 hits, he notched 24 doubles and seven triples. He scored 65 runs and finished with 67 RBIs, a national lead, according to MaxPreps. Starkey’s on-base percentage was .634.
With that kind of consistency, it was more surprising to New Home coach Brady Webb when Starkey didn’t record a hit. Unsuccessful at-bats often looked good, too.
“To be honest, even most of those he hit the ball well; defense just made plays on them,” Webb said. “There was a lot of that. There’s not a lot of times that he didn’t have a good AB.”
Starkey was recognized as District 4-2A MVP and Class 2A slugger of the year by the Texas High School Coaches Association. He also made the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association’s all-state first team.
Webb credits Starkey’s development to a tried and true formula of hard work and dedication. Paired with strength, athleticism and vision, it’s a nightmare for opposing pitchers. Webb said few players spend as much time in “The Zoo,” the Leopards’ batting cages, as Starkey.
“He’s always been a kid who does things right,” Webb said. “He’s just a good kid. … He’s good at it, plus he puts in the work. And when you put those two together, you can be pretty special.”
New Home finished 30-6-1 after falling to Centerville in the 2A Division I state championship. It was the Leopards’ first title game at the 2A level and third state appearance in the past four seasons. The exception was 2024, when Hawley ousted the Leopards in the regional final.
Starkey pointed to New Home’s sweep of the Bearcats in the third round this season as a highlight. The shortstop went 2 for 4 with a home run in a 12-0, five-inning victory in Game 1.
“We had a little bit of that grit,” Starkey said. “We wanted to get after them this year, not just beat them, but run-rule them, I think was the goal for us. We came out swinging it hot. I hit probably the furthest ball I’ve ever hit in my life at Lamesa against them. That was one of the funnest moments of the year.”
Starkey recently wrapped up his summer baseball schedule. He’s turning his focus to playing linebacker and running back for the Leopards football team.
Starkey, who said he’s been in contact with multiple junior colleges and some Division I programs, sees baseball in his post-graduate future. The sport consumes his time from December through July, but he’s happy for a brief pause for his ventures on the gridiron.
“I’m excited (about football),” Starkey said. “I think it’ll be fun. It’s always good to get your mind off of baseball, and it’s good to be a multisport athlete. I think it’s good for everyone to just focus on other things and have some fun. I enjoy it.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Baseball player of the year: New Home’s Ryder Starkey among the nation’s best
Reporting by Stephen Garcia, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
