The Philadelphia Phillies added another piece to their bullpen, signing veteran Joe Ross to a one-year deal. The Phillies have been active in the pitching market, signing former Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano to a one-year deal earlier in free agency and trading for former Miami Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo.
Ross provides the Phillies with not only bullpen value, but the right-hander also has starting pitching potential. He has 86 starts in 123 games throughout his seven-year major league career.
Ross has been a solid pitcher since he debuted with the Washington Nationals in 2015. The former first-round pick has a 29-34 record with a 4.19 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 469 strikeouts in 517 1/3 career innings pitched.
Ross spent the first six years of his career in the NL East with the Nationals, making 76 starts in 98 games. He opted out of the shortened 2020 Covid-19 season. The veteran missed the 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and pitched in the minor leagues in 2023.
The 31-year-old joined the Milwaukee Brewers in 2024, making his first 10 appearances as a starter. He was 2-5 with a 4.98 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched. Ross was moved to the bullpen where he posted a 1.67 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 15 appearances to finish out the season. He pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings during the Brewers’ short-lived postseason run.
Joe Ross' numbers against Phillies' division rivals are alarming
Ross has had a lot of experience pitching in the NL East and NL in general. For that reason, he’s faced the teams and many players that he’ll often pitch against in 2025 with the Phillies. The Phillies’ two biggest competitors in the division heading into the 2025 season are the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets.
Players currently on the Braves have a combined .316 batting average and .944 OPS against the Phillies’ newest addition. Superstar outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. has a career slash line of .500/.500/1.100 with a 1.600 OPS and two home runs in 10 at-bats against Ross. Ozzie Albies also has a career .500 batting average against Ross with only one strikeout in eight at-bats.
Players currently on the Mets have a combined .346 batting average and 1.086 OPS against Ross. Superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor has a career slash line of .636/.636/1.545 with a 2.182 OPS, three home runs, six RBI and only one strikeout in 11 at-bats against Ross. Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil have also had a lot of success against the veteran.
The Phillies hope that Ross can be a reliable arm in the bullpen like he was for the Brewers in 2024. With the addition of Luzardo and top pitching prospect Andrew Painter nearing his major league debut, Ross likely won’t see much action in the starting rotation. However, if the Phillies ever need a spot starter, Ross has the experience to get the job done.