Scouting Twins Prospects: RHP Ben Gross

Thanks for this article.  I didn't like the pick when the Twins made it but I guess it goes to show they can see guys with potential to have a plus pitch and work from there.  I really thought he would wear down as the year went on and his numbers would be less impressive but he has been pretty consistent all year from what I saw.  I agree the pen seems the most likely place he would play but good pen arms are apparently harder to find than I realize so hopefully he continues to develop ways to make his pitches more effective.

Lack of a 3rd pitch makes it virtually impossible to be a starter. Still, glad to see he's having success. For a guy drafted that late, it has to be a ton of fun!

I got to see him a couple weeks ago in Iowa. Sitting down near home plate, he got a lot of swings and misses. He looks very sturdy and athletic on the mound. The defense let him down and he gave up a couple home runs, but after 5 innings, I thought at the least the Twins has a bullpen candidate in Gross.

I think relievers are undervalued, just look at the first half of the Twins' season to see how much damage a bad pen can do. If this guy's eventual fate is to be a solid bullpen arm, that's great news!

I love these prospect profiles! Let's us really get to know the guys in the system, particularly those that aren't high selections that get all the ink.

Agree his future would eventually be in the bullpen as of today. But I stress "as of today". He started 11G for rookie level Elizabethton after signing in 2019 with OK but not great numbers across the board. Fast forward past an entire missed 2020 and he's a stalwart at A+ after skipping low A entirely. Not blowing smoke, but I would think there is a real chance time/coaching could add a tick or two to his velocity and maybe a little more movement to go along with his control and quality slider.

Would it be so much of a reach to think a guy in his first full season might harness/adapt the grip on his change to make it a decent offering? Over the years I've seen guys adapt a straight change to a circle variety or even a palmball grip variation to suddenly find success, I've also seen some just abandon a traditional change and learn a split-finger or cutter as their "change".  At 6' 1" and 210lbs and still only 24yo, 23yo in prospect terms if you follow me, I don't know if his hands are built for the splitter, (It's always been my understanding you need larger hands/longer fingers to make a splitter work). But a cutter, or other variations on a change I just don't know enough to speculate. Just saying the guy has shown so much improvement in so little time that I'm not going to bet against his FB showing a little bit more life and some kind of refined 3rd pitch offering. And even in the pen, any kind of remotely solid 3rd pitch takes you, potentially, from a candidate to perhaps an important piece.

Thank you and keep up the great work!