The Padres Would Be Foolish Not to Lock Up Adrián Morejón
Morejón has quietly been one of the top relief arms in MLB over the past couple of seasons, and it’s time the rest of the league takes notice.
Adrián Morejón’s rise to one of the best relievers in baseball has been anything but conventional.
The San Diego Padres originally envisioned him as a starting pitcher, but in 16 games (eight starts) from 2019 to 2021, he would post a 5.91 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP in 32 innings.
In between the lack of success, Morejón suffered several severe injuries. In 2019 and 2020, he dealt with shoulder issues and underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021.
After making a full recovery from Tommy John, he was still searching for real success, owning a 4.24 ERA in 2022. The injury bug would plague him again in 2023, limiting him to nine innings that season.
During this time, it was evident that Morejón possessed upside in his live arm and above-average movement profiles; the question was whether his body would allow him to succeed.
Then came 2024.
Stats were taken prior to play on June 28.
Morejón’s Breakout
Finally healthy, Morejón put it all together with a 2.83 ERA with 71 strikeouts across 63.2 innings pitched in 2024.
He made his sinker his primary pitch while adding velocity, and that adjustment changed everything.
The sinker created 16 inches of horizontal break with 19 inches of vertical drop. Pair this devastating movement profile with the pitch routinely sitting at 98 mph, and you’re going to give hitters a very hard time.
Then there was his outlier slider, averaging 40 inches of vertical drop with 6 inches of horizontal break, all while coming in at 86 mph.
Together, those two pitches transformed Morejón into one of baseball’s premier weak-contact pitchers. He finished with an average exit velocity of 86.6 mph (91st percentile), a 32.4% hard-hit rate (93rd percentile), and a 51.4% ground ball rate (86th percentile).
With the ability to induce weak contact, he could generate swing-and-miss, too, ranking in the 65th percentile or better in chase rate, whiff rate, and strikeout rate. All while ranking in the 79th percentile in expected ERA (xERA) and 73rd in expected batting average (xBA), proving that this success was no fluke.
Following his standout 2024 season, Morejón would build on it in 2025.
In 73.2 innings, he posted a 2.08 ERA with a 0.87 WHIP with 70 strikeouts, while being named an All-Star for the first time in his career. Though the strikeouts were down, it was his best season as a big leaguer to date.
Morejón looks to have taken another step forward in 2026. While his 3.43 ERA on the surface is nothing to write home about, his 2.04 FIP suggests he has been far better this season.
He has transitioned to throwing four pitches, still having his sinker and slider as his bread and butter, while occasionally mixing in a changeup and four-seamer.
His sinker now averages 99 mph and frequently touches 101. His slider has also gained velocity, now averaging 89 mph. There is no question that this is one of the best pitch combinations in baseball, with his sinker registering a 27% hard-hit rate and his slider generating a 34% whiff rate.
Few Baseball Savant pages are as impressive as Morejón’s, as he ranks in the 92nd percentile in all categories except in xBA (82nd percentile) and extension (33rd percentile).
He is the whole package.
Among qualified relievers, he ranks eighth in FIP, tied for third in fWAR, and third in SIERA only behind Jhoan Duran and teammate Mason Miller. He may not get the same amount of recognition because he’s not closing games for San Diego, but he’s been one of baseball’s most effective relief arms for a few seasons now.
It’s time the rest of the league took notice.
Final Thoughts
It isn’t ridiculous to make the argument that Morejón is the second-best reliever in baseball, right behind Mason Miller. The stuff, metrics, and statistics can all back him up.
Front offices are typically hesitant to hand out long-term contracts to relievers because of how volatile the position can be. Morejón, however, has separated himself from your average bullpen arm. He has been elite for two and a half seasons, has continued adding velocity, and is entering the prime years of his career.
The Padres’ strength resides in their bullpen, and Morejón plays a significant role in its success. Watching one of the organization’s greatest homegrown success stories dominate in another uniform next season would be tough to stomach.
Become a Member of Just Baseball
Subscribe and upgrade to go ad-free!
* Save 25% by subscribing annually.
Written by
Ethan is an aspiring sports analyst who has a passion for all sports. He was a collegiate baseball player and is now finishing up his schooling…