He falls behind hitters far too often
Morales throws a strike on the first pitch 47.3% of the time.
55 plate appearances started in 2026.
He cannot find the zone often enough
Morales works off the plate, with only 34% of his pitches in the zone, 3rd percentile.
212 pitches in 2026. 3rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 521st in MLB.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .447 expected average against them, against .349 on his breaking balls.
121 of his fastballs thrown.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Morales's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 95.6 mph, against 87.2 off his sinker.
77 and 44 of them thrown.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Morales's 4-seam fastball carries 15.2 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
77 thrown, averaging 96.3 mph.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Morales's 4-seam fastball averages 96.3 mph, and has touched 98.6.
77 thrown, 36.3% of his pitches.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Morales projects a .391 average, 6th percentile.
212 pitches in 2026. 6th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 507th in MLB.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Morales releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 34 degrees above horizontal and 1.7 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
212 tracked release points, averaging 5.5 feet off the ground.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Morales's sinker moves 13.8 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
44 thrown, averaging 96.2 mph.
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Morales's stuff spins at 2,467 rpm, 85th percentile in the league.
212 pitches in 2026. 85th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 81st in MLB.
He throws about as hard as anybody in the league
Morales averages 91.6 mph across his arsenal, 75th percentile in the league.
212 pitches in 2026. 75th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 133rd in MLB.
He lives on one side of the plate
Morales works away from right-handers: his average pitch lands 2.7 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
212 located pitches in 2026.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Morales goes to the sweeper: 23.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 15.6% the rest of the time.
52 two-strike pitches in 2026.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Morales works with 5 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Sinker, Sweeper and Changeup, and a little else. The 4-seam fastball is 36.3% of everything he throws.
212 classified pitches in 2026.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 90.4 mph off the bat against Morales, 22nd percentile.
212 pitches in 2026. 22nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 417th in MLB.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17% of Morales's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
36 of 212 located pitches.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Morales releases the ball 6.1 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
171 tracked pitches in 2026.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
45.7% of the contact Morales gives up is hit hard, 23rd percentile.
212 pitches in 2026. 23rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 415th in MLB.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Morales lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.33 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
212 located pitches in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Morales throws the sinker 26.7% of the time against right-handers and 16.7% against left-handers.
86 pitches to right-handers, 126 to left-handers.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Morales lands 38.8% of his fastballs in the zone and only 31.7% of his breaking balls.
121 of his fastballs, 63 of his breaking balls.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Morales's sinker spins at 2,398 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
44 thrown in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Morales puts 42.7% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 36.4% when he is ahead.
82 located pitches behind, 33 ahead.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He falls behind hitters far too often
Morales throws a strike on the first pitch 47.3% of the time.
55 plate appearances started in 2026.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Morales goes to the sweeper: 23.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 15.6% the rest of the time.
52 two-strike pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Morales puts 42.7% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 36.4% when he is ahead.
82 located pitches behind, 33 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He cannot find the zone often enough
Morales works off the plate, with only 34% of his pitches in the zone, 3rd percentile.
212 pitches in 2026. 3rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 521st in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .447 expected average against them, against .349 on his breaking balls.
121 of his fastballs thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Morales lands 38.8% of his fastballs in the zone and only 31.7% of his breaking balls.
121 of his fastballs, 63 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Morales's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 95.6 mph, against 87.2 off his sinker.
77 and 44 of them thrown.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Morales's 4-seam fastball averages 96.3 mph, and has touched 98.6.
77 thrown, 36.3% of his pitches.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Morales works with 5 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Sinker, Sweeper and Changeup, and a little else. The 4-seam fastball is 36.3% of everything he throws.
212 classified pitches in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Morales throws the sinker 26.7% of the time against right-handers and 16.7% against left-handers.
86 pitches to right-handers, 126 to left-handers.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Morales's sinker spins at 2,398 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
44 thrown in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Morales's 4-seam fastball carries 15.2 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
77 thrown, averaging 96.3 mph.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Morales's sinker moves 13.8 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
44 thrown, averaging 96.2 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
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The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Morales projects a .391 average, 6th percentile.
212 pitches in 2026. 6th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 507th in MLB.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 90.4 mph off the bat against Morales, 22nd percentile.
212 pitches in 2026. 22nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 417th in MLB.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
45.7% of the contact Morales gives up is hit hard, 23rd percentile.
212 pitches in 2026. 23rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 415th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Morales releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 34 degrees above horizontal and 1.7 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
212 tracked release points, averaging 5.5 feet off the ground.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Morales releases the ball 6.1 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
171 tracked pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Morales's stuff spins at 2,467 rpm, 85th percentile in the league.
212 pitches in 2026. 85th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 81st in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He throws about as hard as anybody in the league
Morales averages 91.6 mph across his arsenal, 75th percentile in the league.
212 pitches in 2026. 75th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 133rd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on one side of the plate
Morales works away from right-handers: his average pitch lands 2.7 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
212 located pitches in 2026.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17% of Morales's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
36 of 212 located pitches.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Morales lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.33 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
212 located pitches in 2026.
Athletics
Career team 2025–2026