The Twins are planning to select the contract of infielder Ben Ross when roster expand tomorrow, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Minnesota also appears set to recall righty Garrett Acton to take a spot in the bullpen. He has a locker set up in the clubhouse. The Twins will need to open a 40-man spot for Ross.
Ross, 25, ranks 13th in the Twins’ system at MLB.com. He’s 22nd at Baseball America and 29th at FanGraphs. A product of Ohio’s Notre Dame College (not to be confused with the University of Notre Dame), Ross is a former fifth-rounder who has had a nice season between Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul. In a combined 490 plate appearances, he’s batted .274/.378/.506 with 20 homers, 20 steals (28 attempts), 30 doubles, three triples, a 13.9% walk rate and a 25.3% strikeout rate.
Scouting reports on Ross tout his plus defensive acumen but raise concerns about his ability to hit at the major league level — namely due to a susceptibility to breaking pitches. MLB.com’s more optimistic report notes that he’s made big gains in exit velocities this year and is making stronger contact overall, whereas FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen points out that sliders, in particular, are a thorn in Ross’ side (while also calling Ross an above-average to plus defender at as many as six spots on the diamond).
Ross was eligible to be selected in last year’s Rule 5 Draft but wasn’t chosen. He was coming off a poor season in Double-A, having slashed just .219/.308/.363, making this year’s breakout at the plate all the more impressive. The Twins have a relatively crowded infield mix moving forward, with Brooks Lee at third base, recently debuted top-100 prospect Kaelen Culpepper at shortstop, and a combination of Kody Clemens, Royce Lewis and Luke Keaschall at second base and first base. Another top-100 prospect, shortstop Marek Houston, isn’t far behind them; the 2025 first-rounder could debut next season.
That could bring about a fair bit competition, but the Twins recently moved Keaschall to the outfield and don’t have a set DH in future seasons, with veteran Josh Bell slated to hit free agency following the conclusion of 2026’s one-year deal. Ross could push Ryan Kreidler, another defensive-minded utilityman, for a spot next year; Ross has more offensive upside and is nearly four years younger. He’ll also have a full slate of minor league options remaining, whereas Kreidler will be out of options heading into 2027.
