Joe Ross

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked San Diego Padres #4 prospect in 2015
  The Padres tabbed Ross with the 25th overall pick in the 2011 draft, but not until 2014 did they know exactly what they got for their $2.75 million investment. A shoulder injury in 2012 cut his season in half, then he struck out just 5.8 batters per nine innings at low Class A Fort Wayne in 2013, a rate at odds with his pitch quality. Everything clicked into place in 2014 for Ross, the younger brother of Padres starter Tyson Ross, and he finished the season at Double-A San Antonio. Ross throws 91-93 mph fastballs from a loose, slightly crossfire delivery, and he muscles up to 96 when he needs it. He sinks the ball and runs it to his arm side well enough to record a 1.59 groundout/airout ratio in 2014 that ranked just outside the top 50 for qualified minor league starters. Ross throws two promising secondary weapons, including a plus slider in the low to mid-80s that he uses to back-foot lefties and expand the zone against righties. He throws a low-80s changeup with increasingly good arm speed and separation, and some scouts project the pitch to above-average. Ross began to show a killer instinct in the second half of 2014, going after batters with his best stuff rather than pitching to contact, and the strategy paid off with the best SO/BB ratio (3.7) of his career. Ross finished the 2014 season on the disabled list with what the Padres deemed illness and fatigue, but the progress he made indicates he has a ceiling as a No. 3 starter who might be a year away from contributing. Look for him to return to the Double-A level in 2015.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #10 prospect in 2014
  Though the results haven't indicated as much, Ross may have more arm speed than any of the projectable pitchers the Padres drafted in 2011 or 2012, a list headed by Matt Wisler and Max Fried. Ross signed for $2.75 million as the 25th overall pick in 2011, but shoulder tendinitis dented his full-season debut in 2012. His brother Tyson turned in a career-best performance for the big league Padres in 2013. Ross remained healthy in 2013 and made all 23 starts in low Class A Fort Wayne's six-man rotation. He shows two plus pitches with consistency, though his changeup still has a long way to go for scouts to confidently peg him as a quality starter. Ross pitches at 93-94 mph and tops out at 97 with above-average riding life, which helps him keep the ball on the ground and home runs off the board. He can alter batters' eye level with a power slider that darts out of the zone and flashes plus potential. He loses velocity in later innings and doesn't have the best feel for mixing his pitches. The Padres believe his changeup can be an average pitch because he's athletic and is refining his delivery and feel for pitching. Some scouts see Ross as a mid-rotation starter, while others see a power reliever. He is right where he needs to be on the development cycle, on target for high Class A Lake Elsinore in 2014.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #14 prospect in 2013
  Both Ross and catcher Austin Hedges, a pair of 2011 high school draft picks with minimal pro experience, made the Fort Wayne roster out of spring training. Ross, who signed for $2.75 million as the 25th overall pick, came down with shoulder tendinitis in early May that the Padres treated with extreme caution, holding him out of action until July 25, when he debuted with short-season Eugene. His older brother Tyson spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the Athletics from 2010-12, then got traded to San Diego in November. The Padres have procured a rotation's worth of tall, projectable high school righties in the past two drafts--Ross, Matt Wisler, Walker Weickel, Zach Eflin and Mike Kelly--but Ross might have more arm strength than any of them. He pitches at 92-93 mph and bumps his heater up to 96 with riding life when he needs it, though he's still learning his delivery and tends to scatter the zone. Likewise, his slider features good tilt at times, and though his command wavers, he'll throw it in any count. Ross throws a decent changeup in bullpen sessions, but it has too much velocity in games, about 85 mph. The Padres appreciate Ross' easygoing nature because he doesn't get too high or too low, but they'd like to see him on the mound more often in 2013, when he'll take another crack at low Class A.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #9 prospect in 2012
  Like Padres second-rounder Austin Hedges, Ross turned down a UCLA commitment in exchange for a big bonus at the Aug. 15 deadline, signing for $2.75 million as the 2011 draft's 25th overall pick. He first threw to Hedges during the summer of 2010 as both played on the high school showcase circuit, and they teamed up again during Ross' Aug. 28 pro debut. Ross' older brother Tyson has spent parts of the past two seasons on the Athletics pitching staff. His fastball sat at 91-93 mph during the spring and at 93-95 in short outings during instructional league, topping out at 96 in both settings. He could sit in the upper registers of that range as he fills out his lean frame. His athleticism and smooth mechanics allow him to throw strikes and locate the ball down in the zone. The Padres love his clean arm action and strong aptitude for throwing a changeup, which projects as a plus pitch. His 11-to-5 curveball has its moments but has farther to go than his changeup. A potential frontline starter, Ross probably will team up again with Hedges in low Class A for their first full pro seasons. The Padres believe Ross has more maturity and feel for pitching coming out of high school than Keyvius Sampson or Johnny Barbato did as their most prized pitchers from the previous two drafts.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Eastern League #8 prospect in 2015
  The Nationals acquired both Ross and shortstop Trea Turner in the three-team deal also involving the Padres and Rays in which they parted only with outfielder Steven Souza. Both Ross and Turner reached the majors for the first time in 2015, and the former has been a staff mainstay since July. He combines athleticism and a build similar to that of the Rays' Chris Archer with a strong three-pitch mix. Ross' fastball is a solid low-90s pitch and features life in the bottom portion of the zone, while his slider and changeup, both thrown in the low to mid-80s, each project as average or better pitches. His slider in particular often features plus two-plane break. Ross challenges hitters, commands the ball to both sides of the plate and projects as a No. 3 starter at his peak.
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  Ranked California League #6 prospect in 2014
  Looking to join older brother Tyson in San Diego, Ross built momentum in 2014, earning a promotion to Double-A in mid-July. He won several fans among Cal League observers, who appreciated his confident demeanor on the mound and aggressive style. Ross isn't afraid to work the inner half with his 92-94 mph fastball that can reach 96. He has a quick arm, too, allowing his heater to jump on hitters. Ross' fading changeup works as a chase pitch, and he has the confidence to throw it in any count. His slider could be average at times but he had to work to not get around it and cause it to get slurvy. Ross isn't quite as big as his brother but he's nonetheless a good athlete who fields his position well. That big league influence shows through in his work ethic, and he's developing a better feel for reading hitters and adjusting his approach accordingly. "Early in the year, we probably had one of the most stacked lineups and he carved us up a couple times," Lancaster manager Rodney Linares said. "And it was quick. It was like, here you go--inside, inside, changeup away, you're done."
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  Ranked Midwest League #14 prospect in 2013
  Where Eflin likes to manipulate his fastball?s movement to get out of jam, Ross is more likely to simply hump up and throw a little harder. That run-through-a-wall approach leads some scouts to see Ross as a power reliever, but others see a future mid-rotation starter. Ross? 92-97 mph fastball is a plus pitch. He does a good job of getting downward plane on his fastball and working down in the zone, though it?s more of a pitch that generates groundballs than swings and misses presently. Ross, whose older brother Tyson pitches in the majors for the Padres, matches that with a slider that shows good bite at its best and could end up as a plus pitch, but he also sometimes flattens the pitch out to where it has more of a cutting action. His changeup is less developed and adds to questions about whether he can stick as a starter. He also has to prove he can maintain his stuff deep into starts.
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  Ranked Northwest League #4 prospect in 2012
  Signed for $2.75 million as the 25th overall pick a year ago, Ross got hit hard in low Class A to start his first full pro season and missed four weeks with shoulder inflammation before pitching well in the NWL. The younger brother of Athletics righthander Tyson Ross, Joe showed improved command and his slider was better than ever during his time in Eugene. Ross has a live, athletic build. He can run his fastball up to 96 mph and now has the confidence to throw his slider in any count. He throws a good changeup in bullpen sessions, but it can be a little too firm at times and he doesn't trust it completely. "It's a very easy, effortless delivery," Padres pitching coordinator Mike Cather said. "It's an easy 92-93 and if he wants to get angry, he can make the ball jump up 3-4 miles an hour and get good carry at the top of the zone. He has plus angle, he'll flash an average slider and he's got a very good feel for a changeup."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #96 prospect in 2015

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Like Padres second-rounder Austin Hedges, Ross turned down a UCLA commitment in exchange for a big bonus at the Aug. 15 deadline, signing for $2.75 million as the 2011 draft's 25th overall pick. He first threw to Hedges during the summer of 2010 as both played on the Florida showcase circuit, and they teamed up again during Ross' Aug. 28 pro debut. Ross' older brother Tyson has spent parts of the past two seasons on the Athletics pitching staff. Scouting Report: Ross' fastball sat at 91-93 mph during the spring and at 93-95 in short outings during instructional league, topping out at 96 in both settings. He could sit in the upper registers of that range as he fills out his lean frame. His athleticism and smooth mechanics allow him to throw strikes and locate the ball down in the zone. The Padres love his clean arm action and strong aptitude for throwing a changeup, which projects as a plus pitch. His 11-to-5 curveball has its moments, but has farther to go than his changeup. The Future: A potential frontline starter, Ross will team up again with Hedges in low Class A for their first full pro seasons. The Padres believe Ross has more maturity and feel for pitching coming out of high school than Keyvius Sampson and Johnny Barbato did as their most prized pitchers from the previous two drafts.