Twins minor-league utilityman Ben Ross isn't viewed in the same light as top prospects such as Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper and Emmanuel RodrÃguez. Ross doesn't even rank among Minnesota's top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline. Ross was the Twins' No. 29 overall prospect in 2023 and No. 28 in 2024, but fell out of the ranks after a slow start to his professional career. However, the 24-year-old utilityman has had a strong start to the 2026 season, proving he may be undervalued by MLB Pipeline.
The Twins drafted Ross in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Notre Dame College. He had a decent stretch from 2022-23 across four minor-league levels, slashing .239/.326/.436 (114 wRC+) across 137 games before struggling during the 2024 and 2025 seasons with Double-A Wichita, hitting just .216/.297/.353 (79 wRC+) over 244 games.
Ross absolutely raked in 16 games with the Wind Surge to begin the year, posting a .424/.528/.797 (233 wRC+) slash line with five homers, 16 RBI and eight stolen bases before being promoted to Triple-A St. Paul. Ross has fared well with the Saints thus far, hitting .280/.416/.463 (132 wRC+) as of Saturday morning with two home runs, 12 RBI and two stolen bases in 24 games.
With this base hit, @benross1512 is 11 for his last 29 (.379). His second hit of the game produces a run and ties the game at three. Ross came into today with a 1.067 OPS in 15 May games pic.twitter.com/unkbfr1HuM
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) May 19, 2026
Before being drafted by the Twins, Ross dominated college pitching during his time with Division II Notre Dame College. In three collegiate seasons, Ross slashed .405/.471/.758 with 25 homers, 43 doubles, five triples, 97 RBI and 20 stolen bases over 103 games. He became the first player in program history to earn All-American honors.
Ross could be in majors for Twins later in season
Ross seems like a call-up candidate for later in the year if the Twins suffer an injury. Ross has played shortstop, third base and center field this season, which could help him earn a promotion sooner than if he could play only one position. Who knows? Ross could be the Twins' next Willi Castro.
The one thing regarding Ross' game that could be concerning is his high strikeout rate. But his ability to draw walks, hit for power and play all around the diamond could be enough to make him a valuable big-league player. For now, the Twins want him to receive more playing time in Triple-A. But if he continues his tear at the plate, he deserves to be in the majors at some point this season.
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