What a Newly Signed 33-Year-Old Reliever Can Bring for the 2026 Texas Rangers
In the midst of an injury-plagued first half of the 2026 regular season, the Texas Rangers have brought on 33-year-old veteran reliever Joe Ross. Ross, who recently celebrated his 33rd birthday on May 21st, was relieved of his duties from the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 20th. The former Diamondback has found himself in somewhat of a journeyman role as he’s bounced around a few Major League teams in recent years, mainly due to unfortunate outings. He comes into the Rangers’ bullpen looking to provide veteran relief and can serve as somewhat of a leader, giving advice, confidence, and support to the young bullpen arms.
Ross’ Career Resurgence and Comeback Journey
A little history on Ross comes a long way, and some may be hesitant to have confidence in the righty from Berkeley, California, with his 19.64 ERA, but his outings from just a couple of years ago may be broken out and shown out on the mound for his new team. Carrying a career 4.37 ERA, he was an absolute stud amid a transition to a reliever role. In August of 2024, when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers, he flourished as a multi-inning weapon. In 15 appearances down the stretch, ‘JR’ posted a 1.67 ERA over 27 innings, holding his opposing hitters to a .575 OPS, on base plus slugging, giving the Brewers valuable flexibility and a potential weapon. Those performances came just shortly after he suffered a Tommy John injury, following a grueling rehab process. In the end, it proved worth it and gave the veteran right-hander chances to prove his worth and a tenured presence to other teams.
Stops With the Phillies, Cubs, and Diamondbacks
In 2025, the former first-round pick in the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft joined the Philadelphia Phillies and later the Chicago Cubs. During his time with the Phillies, he appeared in a career-high 37 games, logging 51 innings, a 2-1 record, and a 5.12 ERA, but a career-low 17.1% strikeout rate. Again, Ross was used as a bullpen weapon, and the Phillies were hopeful he could reciprocate his success with the Brewers, but after those performances, followed by a stint on the injured list due to back spasms, the Phillies were forced to release him. He later got picked up by the Cubs late in the season. He never saw the mound at Wrigley Field and only threw seven innings, posting a 2.57 ERA for Triple-A Iowa. In 2026, the Phillies' low-risk bullpen addition signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks over the winter. Actually, he managed to squeeze his way onto the Opening Day Roster, but he pitched just under four innings. Ross was then designated for assignment and returned to Arizona, where he pitched for Triple-A Reno, posting stats that impressed the Rangers’ clubhouse, landing him in the Lone Star State.
Breaking Down Ross’ Pitch Arsenal
Rangers’ fans have something to be excited about, as Ross’ pitch arsenal is interesting and tricky. He’s got four pitches: a slider, sinker, four-seam fastball, and changeup. His slider has a sweeper-like gyro movement, reaches a constant velocity of 83-86 MPH, and is his most frequently used pitch in recent outings. The slider is at its peak against right-handed hitters, leaving them chasing the pitch down and away. His sinker, or some may say a two-seam fastball, has some downward bite used primarily to jam hitters and generate ground balls for quick outs. His fastball is not used as much as it is on the lower end in terms of its speed, meaning the Phillies' resilient comeback pitcher must be more careful of where he throws it in the strike zone. Lastly, his changeup. Topping out around 88 MPH, this pitch is primarily used against left-handed hitters, complemented by some fading action, and with its low utilization, can be used to throw hitters off. In the end, Ross has a lot of potential, especially if he’s called up from Triple-A Round Rock and provides the injury-stricken Rangers’ bullpen some veteran relief, as Cody Bradford is recovering from left UCL surgery, Robert Garcia is still struggling to get past nagging Left Rotator cuff inflammation, and the rookie Carter Baumler suffered a Right intercostal strain.
