Ross Dunn: Meet the Pitcher on the Other Side of the Twins Pitch Tipping Scandal

Earlier this week, ESPN reported that the Twins released 2024 sixth-round pick Derek Bender after a wild series of events. Bender, a catcher, was caught telling the opposition what pitch was coming during a game that had playoff implications for both teams. According to the reports, his reasoning behind tipping pitches was that he wanted the team’s season to be finished so he could go home. Fort Myers lost the game and was eliminated from playoff contention. 

The pitcher on the mound for this debacle was lefty Ross Dunn, who the Twins selected in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft from Arizona State University. Dunn played his first two collegiate seasons at Florida State, where he pitched very well as a reliever (2.13 ERA, 10.7 K/9) in his freshman season before some struggles as a sophomore (4.88 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 14.4 K/9). During his junior season, he made 15 starts (65 1/3 innings) while allowing 31 earned runs with an 84-to-44 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Minnesota’s scouts likely were drawn to his strong strikeout numbers (11.6 K/9) during his final college season.

Dunn didn’t make his professional debut until this season, and all his appearances came at Low-A, where he was slightly older than the average age of the competition. He made 19 appearances (16 starts) with Fort Myers and posted a 6.46 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP and 8.8 K/9. Dunn surrendered more than one hit per inning, and batters combined for a .829 OPS against him. Most of that damage was from right-handed hitters (.881 OPS), as he held lefties to a .693 OPS in 79 plate appearances. 

Dunn’s performance in his final start, the pitch-tipping incident, was poor as he was charged with four earned runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings. However, it wasn’t out of character for him to allow big innings in previous appearances. He had three appearances earlier in the year where he allowed six earned runs and three earned runs or more in nine of his 19 appearances. However, his numbers for the season would look different if the pitch-tipping incident were removed. 

He entered his final start of the season with a 6.03 ERA with opponents batting .264/.343/.452 (.795) against him in 18 appearances. Based on his final start, his ERA jumped nearly half a run, and his opponent’s OPS increased by over 30 points. Bender might have wanted his season to be done, but his actions impacted Dunn’s performance and his final numbers on the season. Dunn had shown some improvements in his recent starts leading into that game. In five games, he had held opponents to a .203/.286/.367 (.653). There are no guarantees that Dunn would have posted strong numbers in that start, but it should have been his performance to dictate. 

Dunn isn’t a top prospect in the Twins organization, so every appearance is essential for him to make an impression and show improvement. Minnesota’s player development department has also done a good job turning middle-to-late-round draft picks, like Dunn, into pitching prospects that can impact the farm system in recent years. Many players likely felt the same way as Bender, but they were still professionals and had to perform in the season’s final games. Overall, the Twins will likely take into account this incident when evaluating Dunn’s performance during the 2024 campaign. 

What can Dunn do next season to put himself on the prospect map? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!