Texas Rangers 2017 preseason preview: Tyson Ross
Texas Rangers newcomer Tyson Ross might be the biggest steal of the offseason.
On January 19, the Texas Rangers signed pitcher Tyson Ross to a one year, six million dollar deal. If his case of thoracic outlet syndrome is a thing of the past, then they’ve found themselves a bargain. At just 29 years old with great command, he has the potential to be this season’s Ian Desmond.
What his past has taught us
The biggest question mark for Ross will be about his recovery from shoulder issues last season. He played only one game in 2016 because of the injury, but to really understand the type of player Texas has here, let’s look at his career before the injury.
While bouncing between starting and relieving with the Oakland Athletics, his big career breakthrough came with the San Diego Padres. Upon arriving in “America’s Finest City,” he found a rhythm with his pitching coach, Darren Balsley.
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From 2013-15, he posted an earned run average of 3.06 and held opposing hitters to an average of .232. He finished the season ninth in the National League in both 2014 and 2015 in FIP with averages of 3.24 and 2.98. In fact, he also finished both seasons in the NL’s top ten in hits per nine IP, strikeouts per nine IP, strikeouts, and home runs allowed per nine IP.
He has great firepower with a fastball that was capable of 95 MPH before his injury and a hard-breaking slider, a cut fastball and a good changeup. While the longball might be a bit more of a problem at Globe Life Park than it was in Petco, he still has electric stuff.
He’s also been a great second half pitcher over his career. In his team’s first 81 games, he’s averaged an ERA of 3.91, but that average drops to 3.15 in the back half. It’s not that his first half numbers are terrible by any means, but his batting average against is also 31 points lower in the second half and his opposing OBP is 33 points lower. Since starters Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish have typically been “first half guys,” this talent could bode really well for the Rangers this season.
What the future holds for him
His win-loss record wasn’t that impressive with the Padres, but don’t forget that they averaged just 75 2/3 wins over his three full seasons with them. He gets a clean slate here in Arlington with a great offense, a manager like Jeff Banister and catcher Jonathan Lucroy to work with.
What will benefit Ross the most in 2017 will be his ability to get through the first couple of innings and into the middle of a start. As he regains a feel for the American League style of play and adapts to a hitters’ ballpark, April and May will be crucial.
Things will likely start a tad slow for him this season. Avoid the urge to knee-jerk if he has a couple of rough starts at home, but as we see him pitch in the more pitcher-friendly confines of Oakland, Anaheim and Seattle, he’ll begin to really prove his value.
His history suggests that he’ll be a better road pitcher the Texas Rangers than at home. They should take full advantage of this, especially against AL West opponents. Best-case, he could finish the year as the team’s number three starter, but with the moderate contract he’s signed there is room to experiment.
Next: Rangers preview: Andrew Cashner
If Ross stays healthy, the sky’s the limit. But to be fair and to be cautious, the hope is for a win-loss record of 11-7, an ERA of around 3.80 with an opposing batting average of .250 and a WHIP of 1.400. While those numbers might not sound too impressive, remember his biggest focuses this year revolve around recovery and staying healthy. If he can keep the ball down and continue to strike hitters out like he has previously, those numbers could look even better.