The New York Mets are looking to solidify their bullpen for the 2026 season, and RHP prospect Dylan Ross has become a very interesting player to watch in Spring Training. The 25 year old right hander didn’t have a smooth ride, but after a quick rise through the minor leagues in 2025, he is now knocking on the door of the big leagues.
We saw him get the call to the majors right at the end of last year, and even though he didn’t get into a game, just being there was a statement. Now, looking at his projections and his raw stuff, it’s clear that Ross could be a legitimate weapon for this team if he can harness his command.
Dylan Ross’ Dominant 2025 Season
This is a guy who was drafted in the 13th round back in 2022 out of Georgia, who battled through injuries, and then absolutely torched the minor leagues last season. He started the year in High-A Brooklyn and forced his way all the way to Triple-A Syracuse, eventually earning that late-September call-up. Across three levels, he threw 54 innings and posted a stellar 2.17 ERA. But the number that really jumps out is his strikeouts. He fanned 80 batters in those 54 innings. That is the kind of swing-and-miss ability that had him flying up the organizational depth chart.
The reason he was so effective comes down to his pure power. Ross is a big guy, standing 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, and he uses that frame to generate some serious heat. His fastball sits in the 96-99 mph range and has touched 102 mph. But here’s the thing, it’s not just the velocity. He pairs his heater with a splitter that acts as a “spin killer,” dropping off the table in the low-90s. When you combine that fastball with a splitter that looks exactly like a heater until the bottom falls out, you get the results we saw in 2025. He also mixes in an upper-80s slider, giving him a complete arsenal to attack both righties and lefties.
The Control Questions
While the strikeout numbers are elite, the walk numbers were definitely concerning. In 2025, he walked 33 batters in those 54 innings, which is a walk rate of 5.5 per nine innings. This concern is reflected in his 2026 projections. The projection systems are a bit cautious because of those control issues. Steamer projects him to throw 36 innings with a 3.81 ERA and a 4.38 BB/9.
ZiPS is a little less optimistic on the run prevention, projecting a 4.11 ERA over 54 innings, but they still see the strikeout potential with a 9.54 K/9. These projections are basically saying that the stuff will play, but the walks might lead to some messy innings. A high-3.00s or low-4.00s ERA is serviceable, but if he wants to be a setup man or a closer, he needs to beat those projections by filling up the strike zone more consistently.
Role and Expectations for 2026
So where does that leave him for 2026? Ross will enter Spring Training with a real shot to win a job, but he likely starts as the first man up from Syracuse. The Mets have built a decent amount of bullpen depth, so they don’t need to rush him if he’s not throwing strikes in Port St. Lucie. The best-case scenario is that he refines that command just a little bit. If he can drop that walk rate down to even 4.0 per nine, his ERA could easily be in the low 3.00s or high 2.00s because he doesn’t give up many hits. He only allowed 29 hits all of last season, which is absolutely absurd.
Ultimately, Dylan Ross is the type of high-ceiling reliever that this team could use. Every bullpen needs a guy who can come in and overpower a hitter when the game is on the line. And Ross brings that physical presence as well as a velocity ceiling that few other guys in the system have. If he can put it all together, we aren’t just talking about a middle reliever, we are talking about a guy who could potentially pitch the 8th inning. 2026 is going to be a massive year for him to prove that the control issues were just part of the development process. If he throws strikes, the Mets have a real monster on their hands.
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