Minor League Mondays: Could Dylan Ross Help The Mets' Bullpen in September?

The New York Mets are heading down the stretch with the postseason in mind, entering September with odds of over 93 percent to reach the playoffs for a third time in four years. The minor league season is also starting to wind down, with only a few weeks left to go, so most players are either trying to finish their campaigns on a high note or audition for a spot on the Mets' postseason roster. Syracuse right-hander Dylan Ross falls solidly in the latter category and is the focus of this week's edition of Minor League Mondays.

Dylan Ross has had a strong season for AAA Syracuse.

Ross, 25, was the Mets' 13th round pick in 2022 out of Georgia as an upside play after undergoing Tommy John surgery in his final college season. The surgery wasn't entirely successful, requiring a revision that forced Ross' debut to wait until the end of last season. The Mets had Ross move to the bullpen and his work there has been exceptional, allowing him to fly through three levels this summer and land on the doorstep of the majors.

In 43 outings across three levels this season, Ross is 2-0 with a 2.54 ERA, striking out 71 batters in 46 innings pitched. Ross has a strong repertoire that could eventually play as a starting pitcher, headlined by a fastball that can reach 102 miles per hour and plays faster thanks to Ross' incredible extension that makes it pop right on top of hitters. The best breaking pitches in Ross' arsenal are a nasty splitter with a ton of vertical drop and a solid slider, while his curveball is a rarely used fourth offering that can be used to keep hitters honest.

The Mets are trying to figure out the best configuration of relievers for their postseason roster, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Ross get a look in September to see if he can be more effective against big league hitters than someone like Ryne Stanek. While the Mets got big outs from Stanek last October, he has not been nearly as effective this season, opening the door for someone like Ross to make an impression over the final month of the regular season to claim a spot on the postseason roster.

Even if Ross can't crack the Mets' postseason roster now, he figures to be in the bullpen mix for 2026, when the Mets figure to have a few roster spots available for rotating relievers. Ross' elite velocity could make him a significant bullpen weapon in the future, and he could also be a valuable trade chip in the offseason if another another team feels they can convert him into a starting pitcher.