Does Ryze really need mana scalings?

Good hybrid scalings of any type (AD/AP being the most common) are always dangerous because they promise insane synergy with items that grant both of the corresponding stats, making the champ harder to balance.

When Riot did Ryze's first "modern" rework in 2015 (when his Q was first made into a skillshot), I'm sure Riot designers only left the mana scalings in because getting damage out of mana has long been Ryze's thing. Having two ratios on every ability, scaling off of stats that are easily purchasable together, nearly guarantees an insane lategame, making balance more difficult than normal.

Giving Ryze a utility ult was a great move, but the existence of dual ratios on every ability mean that even the garbage Ryze of today has a fantastic 4-item spike - he just pays for it by having a tremendously weak early and mid.

I am confident that any Ryze player would rather have their champion be made playable and not extremely weak than preserve the "coolness" of having mana scalings.