Tyson Ross

High school

Ross attended Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, which is located mere miles away from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, where he played for the Oakland Athletics.

College

Ross pitched for the University of California, Berkeley where he was an All Pac-10 selection.

Professional career

Ross was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 2nd round of the 2008 Draft.

Minor leagues

Ross made 6 appearances (4 starts, 0-1) in 2008 for Single-A Kane County, posting a 4.66 ERA. He went 19.1 innings, 11 runs (10 earned) on 16 hits while striking out 16 and walking 5. In 2009, he began the season with Single-A Stockton, starting 18 games, posting a 5-6 record with a 4.17 ERA. He pitched 86.1 innings, allowing 49 runs (40 earned) on 78 hits with 82 strikeouts and 33 walks. He finished the season with Double-A Midland, making 9 starts, going 5-4 with a 3.96 ERA. In 50 innings, he allowed 22 runs (all earned) on 40 hits, fanning 31 and walking 20.

Oakland Athletics

Coming into the 2010 season, Ross was ranked Oakland's 6th best prospect. Despite not pitching above Double-A, Ross made the big-league roster while making only 5 spring training appearances. Ross made his major league debut on April 7, 2010, against the Seattle Mariners. He went 2.1 innings, allowing no runs on one hit. He struck out the first batter he faced, his childhood idol Ken Griffey Jr., and walked one. In his next appearance, on April 11, he pitched 3 innings against the Angels and recorded his first career save. On May 11 against the Rangers, he picked up both his first career win and blown save. Ross worked out of the bullpen until July 6, when he was sent down to Triple-A to be groomed back to a starter role. Ross had a 5.49 ERA in 39¹⁄₃ innings with the A's, and he posted a 3.55 ERA in six starts for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats.

Ross was one of the A's final cuts in Spring Training 2011, but was recalled to join the bullpen in early April. He took the place of the injured Dallas Braden in the rotation, making six starts until he himself was injured and placed on the DL with a strained oblique. Ross had a 2.75 ERA in 36 innings at the time of the injury. He did not return to the Oakland A's that season, finishing out 2011 in Triple-A, where he had a 7.61 ERA in 9 starts.

Ross was pegged as the A's fifth starter out of spring training in 2012, but was sent down to the Sacramento River Cats at the start of the season because Oakland would not require a fifth starter until mid-April. He made his first start for the A's on April 17, and continued to start until he was optioned back to Sacramento on May 31 with a 6.51 ERA. He then shuttled between Triple-A and the A's, starting until the September roster expansion, where he rejoined the parent club as a reliever. In his five stints with Oakland, Ross was 2-9 in his 13 starts and had a 6.50 ERA overall. He had a 2.99 ERA in his 15 games with the River Cats.

During his tenure with the Oakland Athletics, Ross wore number 66 for the name of the street where he first played baseball, 66th Avenue, located on the northwestern boundary of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

San Diego Padres

On November 16, 2012, Ross was traded to the San Diego Padres with minor league infielder A. J. Kirby-Jones for Andy Parrino and Andrew Werner.

Ross competed for a starting job in 2013 spring training and won the fifth spot in the rotation. He made three starts for the Padres before suffering a left shoulder subluxation in the process of swinging for his first major league hit. Ross returned from the disabled list on May 5, but was relegated to the bullpen due to concern over his shoulder when batting. After working in relief through early July, Ross was sent down to Triple-A to build arm strength and returned to the starting rotation on July 23. He made 13 more starts for the Padres through the end of the year, posting a 2.93 ERA. The starts included two shutout performances of 7 and 8 innings that raised his prospects for returning to the starting rotation for the 2014 season. He finished the 2013 season at 3-8 and 3.17, with 119 strikeouts against 44 walks in 125 innings.

International career

Ross pitched for Team USA in 2007, including the Pan-American Games and World Port Tournament. He also played for the 2004 and 2005 USA Baseball Junior National teams.

Pitching style

Ross has four pitches. His main one is a four-seam fastball at 90–95 mph, and he also features a two seamer (89–93), a slider (84–89) and a changeup usually reserved for left-handed hitters (87–89). As a strikeout pitch for right-handers, he relies heavily on his slider.

Personal

Tyson's younger brother Joe is a pitcher for the Washington Nationals. His father is a pediatrician and his mother an emergency room nurse in Oakland. His sister, Frannie, played soccer at Portland State University.