Mets pitching prospect Dylan Ross was one of the fastest-rising players in the team’s farm system this year. The 2022 draft pick started in High-A and will end the year at the MLB level. Ross rose thanks in large part to a strong arsenal, highlighted by a fantastic splitter and hard four-seamer.
A Look at Ross
The Mets picked up Dylan Ross out of UGA in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, one that’s already proven to be fruitful for the organization. Jett Williams and Jonah Tong were in that draft, as were Jacob Reimer, now-Giant Blade Tidwell, and Brandon Sproat (who did not sign in 2022 but did in 2023).
However, the Mets had to wait two years for him to make his pro debut due to injury. Ross didn’t throw a professional pitch until 2024, when he struck out three over one scoreless frame with St. Lucie in September.
Ross started 2025 in High-A Brooklyn and made an immediate impact (editor’s note: I saw him pitch in April with Brooklyn, and he was impressive to say the least. Ross flirted with 100 MPH). The 25-year-old made 10 appearances with the Cyclones and struck out 23 before moving up to Double-A.
The former Georgia pitcher then moved to Triple-A Syracuse in June. Ross was nearly unhittable with the S-Mets, as opposing hitters batted .107 off him in Triple-A. Walks were his biggest issue. Ross walked 22 over 32 frames with Syracuse this season.
As noted earlier, Ross has a blistering fastball that maxed out at 99 MPH in Triple-A. It sat more 96-97 MPH but it’s a pitch that plays up significantly. It doesn’t have a lot of induced carrying action; its 15.8” mean IVB is roughly league-average. What Ross does have is extension. Ross’s average release came in at 6.9” of extension, which puts him in the top 20% of the Majors.
Ross also works with two primary secondary offerings: a mid-80s slider and a low-90s splitter. The splitter, in particular, was a plus offering down in the Minors. Down below, one can see exactly that: it had a significant amount of fade and action.
The one thing about Ross’ splitter that stood out, aside from the gaudy 49.4% Whiff% rate, was that often, that splitter varied very differently from a pitch profile. See that below.
His slider, a tight pitch, was also a big swing-and-miss pitch. How much swing-and-miss? A 67.3% Whiff% with Syracuse.
The Mets officially selected Dylan Ross’ contract on September 27. New York DFA’d Kevin Herget to make room.
Analysis
Between now and November, the Mets were going to have to add Ross to the 40-man roster. With his arsenal — a power three-pitch mix that played at all levels of the Minors — and a constant need for pitching, Ross would not have lasted long in the Rule 5 Draft had he not been protected.
In the interim, Ross will play a role in keeping their bullpen fresh as the Mets try to stay alive in the NL Wild Card race.
But for next season, with Tyler Rogers, Gregory Soto, and Ryan Helsley set to become free agents, Ross could play a major role for the Mets. He’s got three options, throws hard, and can work with three above-average pitches. All of those are characteristics valuable in a reliever.
Check out more of our MLB coverage.