The San Diego Padres used their 25th pick in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft to select RHP Joe Ross out of Oakland's Bishop O'Dowd High School. Ross is the brother Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Tyson Ross and is the second Bay Area product to be drafted on day one. There are some questions as to signability with Ross as he has signed a letter of intent with UCLA. However, if the Padres can get Ross signed, he could provide solid depth to the middle of their rotation:
He can get the fastball up to 95 mph, sitting comfortably in the 90-91 mph range most of the time. His fastball does have some sink and run to it as well, though he has a tendency to leave it up in the zone ...
He throws a power curve 78-81 mph, though he'll drop it a few ticks from time to time. It has good spin and depth and should be a plus pitch. He also throws a changeup, but like with many high school pitchers, it's still in its nascent stages.
John Sickels thinks the signability concerns exist alongside potential health concerns as Ross has had some elbow soreness issues. Sickels thinks he might be better suited for the bullpen long term. On the other hand, Keith Law provided some quick analysis of Ross and views him as less projectable than his brother but with better command and mechanics, which could mean a quicker developmental run through the minor leagues.
Head over to mlb.com for their scouting report and video of Ross.
We'll be here for the next three days covering the 2011 MLB Draft for the San Francisco Giants, the Oakland Athletics, and Bay Area baseball products. For more in-depth discussion about the Giants head to McCovey Chronicles. For more on the A's head over to Athletics Nation. For more general minor league and draft discussion, check out Minor League Ball and Baseball Nation.