Robbie Ross Stats & Scouting Report

IP	330
ERA	3.927
WHIP	1.391
BB/9	3.273
SO/9	7.473

Full name Robert Charles Ross Jr.
Born 06/24/1989 in Lexington, KY
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Lexington Christian Academy
Debut 04/08/2012
Drafted in the 2nd round (57th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2008 (signed for $1,575,000).

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Kentucky offers its best draft crop ever this year, and its high school class is especially deep with four prospects with the talent to go in the top two rounds. The best of that contingent is Ross, a lefty with pitches and polish. He sits at 90-92 mph and touched 94 with his fastball, and his secondary pitches and command are just as impressive. He shows a hard slider and nice feel for a changeup, and he pounds the strike zone. The only knock on Ross is that he's just 6 feet tall, but he generates his quality stuff via athleticism and arm speed, rather than effort. Scouts eagerly anticipated his late-April matchup with fellow Lexington southpaw Nick Maronde, and Ross didn't disappoint. He struck out 14 and walked none, giving up just an unearned run while dealing Maronde the second loss of his prep career. He also outdueled Niceville (Fla.) lefty Brett DeVall earlier in the year, ending the game with a 94-mph fastball for a strikeout. A Kentucky recruit, Ross should be signable in the first two rounds.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Ross catapulted his draft stock in 2008 by outdueling Brett DeVall, who went on to be a Braves sandwich-round pick. The Rangers took Ross in the second round and signed him for $1.575 million. After a tough second half in the California League in 2010, he benefited when Texas moved its high Class A affiliate to the more pitcher-friendly Carolina League last year. He led the circuit in ERA (2.26) and opponent average (.227), earning a promotion to Double-A after Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland were traded. Ross racks up his share of strikeouts and generates plenty of weak contact. He attacks the zone with an 88-93 mph fastball, and he can cut it or run it. His slider can flatten out when he gets under it but flashes above-average potential. He throws an average changeup that's inconsistent. Scouts don't love the effort in Ross' delivery, as he employs a high leg kick and throws across his body, but it does create deception. He has good control but needs to work on refining command, specifically locating his fastball on the outside corner against righthanders. Some scouts think Ross is best suited for the bullpen, but he'll get an extended look as a starter. He'll return to Frisco in 2012.
Ross signed for $1.575 million as a second-round pick just before the 2008 signing deadline, then made his pro debut the following summer, when he led the Northwest League in strikeouts per nine innings (9.2). He made a successful leap to full-season ball in 2010, earning South Atlantic League all-star honors and reaching high Class A. Ross' best pitch is an 89-90 mph fastball that reaches 93 with serious life. He can cut it and sink it, but he doesn't know which way it's going, which makes him hard to catch. He flashes a good slider, but it tends to flatten out and needs some tightening. He also must become more comfortable with his changeup. His delivery is effectively funky, giving him good deception. Ross is still maturing on and off the field, but he demonstrated more focus in his bullpens and in games last season. His command made some progress as well, though it needs to improve. He also has to do a better job of keeping his body in shape. The Rangers will continue to develop him as a starter, but his frame, command and repertoire might be better suited for the bullpen. Texas has a logjam of talented arms in the lower levels of its system, so it figures to push Ross to Double-A to start 2011.
The Rangers bought Ross out of a Kentucky commitment with a $1.575 million bonus just hours before the 2008 signing deadline. They were mildly disappointed by his lack of arm speed and fastball life in instructional league that fall, but he dominated in his pro debut last year. He ranked second in strikeouts per nine innings (9.2) and fourth in ERA (2.66) in the short-season Northwest League. Ross makes up for his lack of size with his tenacity and quick arm. He pitches down in the zone to both sides of the plate with a 90-93 mph fastball that bumps 94. The pitch plays up because of its late life--he can cut it and sink it, though he doesn't always know how he's doing it. He hides the ball well and eats up lefthanders, holding them to a .228 average in 2009. He also flashes an above-average, late-breaking slider at 82-83 mph. Ross' changeup is a work in progress, though he does have some feel for it. Because of his size, he sometimes gets underneath the ball, which cause his pitches to rise in the zone. He still must add strength to improve his stamina. Ross will move on to low Class A in 2010. Texas will develop him as a starter, and some club officials envision him as a mid-rotation starter in the mold of former all-star Danny Jackson.
The top prospect among Kentucky's watershed 2008 high school class, Ross passed up a scholarship from the University of Kentucky to sign with the Rangers for $1.575 million just hours before the Aug. 15 signing deadline. His bonus was the highest in the second round last year and more than double MLB's $705,000 slot recommendation. Ross signed too late to pitch in a minor league game, but club officials got a look at him in instructional league and came away with mixed impressions. Like he did in high school, Ross sat around 90-92 mph with his fastball and touched 93-94. But some Rangers executives were disappointed with his lack of arm speed and fastball life, two of his calling cards in high school. Ross also features a hard slider that he often throws down and in to righthanders, and he has the makings of a good changeup, though it still needs plenty of work. In high school, Ross showed very good command down in the strike zone and a competitive streak. The biggest knock on him is his size, and there's some effort in his delivery. It's tempting to compare him to fellow undersized lefty Kasey Kiker, but Ross has a lower arm slot and a slider, while Kiker uses a curveball and a more advanced changeup. Their ceilings are similar, however. He figures to follow Kiker's developmental path, starting his first full pro season in extended spring training and finishing the year in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Ross enjoyed the Rangers' decision to move their high Class A affiliate from the hitter-friendly California League, where he posted a 5.37 ERA in 11 second-half starts last year, to Myrtle Beach. He led the CL in ERA (2.26) and opponent batting average (.227) en route to winning the pitcher of the year award. He doesn't pile up a lot of strikeouts, but Ross generates plenty of weak contact by throwing lots of strikes and messing up hitters' timing by changing speeds. He's no soft-tosser either, running his fastball from 89-93. His heater is more notable for its life, as he can cut it or run it. Ross' mid-80s slider and his changeup show flashes of being average pitches. Scouts aren't in love with his delivery, as he throws with effort and across his body, but it also lends him deception.
Another undersized lefthander who starred for Hickory, Ross has more overpowering stuff than Erlin if not quite as much savvy. He does have a great deal of polish, though, as he pitches to both sides of the plate and keeps the ball down in the zone. He's not afraid of throwing strikes and letting hitters put the ball in play, using his stuff to generate groundouts. With a quick arm, Ross mixes a 90-93 mph fastball that he can cut and sink along with a low-80s slider. His changeup needs work and he runs into trouble when he leaves his pitches up, lessons he learned after a promotion to the hitter-friendly California League. "He learned how to pitch this year and that's what got him to the next level," Richardson said. "He has some funk about him, but funk can work. He did everything you want a pitcher to do, including keeping the ball down and pitching at a good tempo."
Nearly every manager agreed that Ross was the best pitcher they faced this year. He was the only NWL hurler to finish in the top five in ERA (2.66) and strikeouts (76 in 74 innings). Spokane manager Tim Hulett summed it up by saying, "If he pitches, we're going to have a chance to win." Ross touched 93-94 mph early in the summer before beginning to tire, and he sat at 90-92 for much of the year. He keeps his fastball down and it has good run, resulting in a 3.2 groundout/airout ratio, and he also can throw it by hitters up in the zone. He hides the ball well and is especially tough on lefthanders. Ross still is working to refine his secondary offerings. He has a feel for a slider with sharp break and also mixes in a changeup, though he can get underneath his pitches at times. At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, he doesn't have an ideal pitcher's frame and will need to get stronger so he can work deeper into games, especially over the grind of a full season.