St. Paul – Ben Ross had seen a lot of ups and downs at Double-A the past two seasons. Still, when he ended the 2025 season hitting .286/.328/.518 with three home runs, 12 RBI, and five stolen bases in his last 15 games, he knew he was turning a corner for the better.
Minnesota’s fifth-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft had been stuck in Double-A for two consecutive full seasons, and 2026 marked the third straight season he started the year there. He had a .219/.308/.363 slash line with 14 home runs, 60 RBI, and 18 stolen bases in 120 games in 2025. It was a slight improvement from the .212/.284/.341 slash line, 11 home runs, 38 RBI, and 20 stolen bases in 2024.
In just 16 games with the Wind Surge, Ben Ross hit a league-leading .424/.528/.797 slash line, five home runs, 16 RBI, had a 16.7% walk rate, and 13.9% strikeout rate over 72 plate appearances. Ross’ changes this season, compared to the previous two years, weren’t so much swing adjustments as they were mental.
“I think a lot of it was mindset-based,” Ross said. “Just kind of had more of a confident attitude, which I know is tough to take forward day in and day out. But the fight to stay confident has been a piece of it.”
“It feels like he had a really productive off-season,” said Twins GM Jeremy Zoll on Ross. “And when he performed the way he did in the first few weeks, we wanted to reward that and push him along to Triple-A and give him that next step.”
According to Ross’ teammates, he can occasionally be his own toughest critic. No one has seen it more firsthand than pitcher Mike Paredes, his closest friend within the organization. The two have roomed together throughout their minor league journeys and frequently decompress by playing Rainbow Six Siege or Hunt: Showdown on their consoles, along with Aaron Sabato.
That was often when Paredes would reassure Ross that things would come together eventually, when he was at the lowest point of his season in Wichita the past two years.
“We play video games together all the time, and we’d talk about it,” Paredes said. “Even after the day’s done. He’s right there, he’s been heating up for the past couple of seasons, and now he’s putting it into fruition, and it’s all been a success from there, so it’s awesome to see that.”
Paredes finished his 2025 season in Triple-A St. Paul and was recalled to the Saints’ roster just three days before Ross earned his promotion. Knowing the work Ross puts in each day on and off the field, it was only a matter of time before he’d be crushing opposing pitchers.
“Ben’s always been one of my favorite hitters unless I’m facing him in spring training,” said Paredes. “Obviously, that’s the only time I don’t want to see Ben in the box.”
Ben Ross cooled, going 2-for-19 in his first five games. It’s not uncommon for players to have an adjustment period when moving up a level, and fortunately for Ross, that cool-off period was short-lived.
Over the last four games with the Saints, Ross is again hitting over .400, with his first two home runs in Triple-A, five RBI, and nine runs scored. His first homer came in the Saints’ 8-7 win over the I-Cubs on Sunday, a no-doubt moon shot over the right-center field fence.
As he came around the bases to score, veteran teammate Orlando Arcia greeted Ross with a big bear hug. That’s when Ross knew the hot streak was about to begin.
“It’s awesome to contribute to a full team win,” Ross said following Sunday’s game. “It was awesome. I felt comfortable. I feel like it took a little bit to start working and get comfortable, but today, I felt like we’re moving forward. Especially this week, as it went on, feeling better and better.”
“It’s awesome to see, great guy,” said Kyler Fedko on Ross. “He’s nasty, so it was only a matter of time before he’d start hitting the ball like he can, so it’s good to see that.”
“[He was] off to a really good start in Wichita this year, getting on base, and doing some damage to drive the baseball with the home run today to right center,” Saints manager Brian Dinkelman said. “The tools are in there. He’s got all the tools to do everything, and I think as long as he’s back playing and making solid contact. He’s got a really good chance.”
While Ross’s bat has been the focus of the season, the one part of his game that has always been a strength is his defensive versatility. Like Michael Helman before him, Ross is looking to be the next super utility man the Twins draft and develop.
Ben Ross has played every defensive position except pitcher and catcher since the Twins drafted him in 2022. However, Minnesota has recently kept on the left side of the infield at short and third, and occasionally shuffles among the outfield positions. For a player who was drafted as a shortstop out of college and hadn’t played in the outfield grass since Little League, the versatility has been a skill he’s appreciated adding on over the past four years.
“I do love jumping around and learning how to play all the different positions,” Ross said. “So the versatility has been super fun to learn, and I think it adds some value.”
Ben Ross may be at Triple-A for the foreseeable future, but he’s in the right spot to make noise and be just a call away from the majors. After going through some rough patches at the plate the past two seasons, he feels he can take the failure much easier now, and swing freely as the Saints continue to make their case as the best home run-hitting lineup in all the minor leagues, with 62 going into Thursday night’s game in Las Vegas.
“I am just trying to stick to a plan every time I step in the box,” Ross said. “Part of the game is failure and being okay with not getting what you’re looking for, and just going back to the dugout and staying confident after that at-bat is a big piece of it. But, like I said, just sticking to that plan every day has been good.”
“He’s been putting together a really good start,” said Paredes. “He’s more than capable of doing even better than he’s doing right now. I’m just happy for him.”
