Bryan Morris
| IP | 236 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.127 |
| WHIP | 1.373 |
| BB/9 | 3.852 |
| SO/9 | 6.407 |
- Full name Avery Bryan Morris
- Born 03/28/1987 in Tullahoma, TN
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Motlow State CC
- Debut 09/14/2012
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Drafted in the 1st round (26th overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006 (signed for $1,325,000).
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The Devil Rays and Morris reportedly agreed to a signing bonus in excess of $1 million last summer, but when the old Devil Rays management failed to follow through, Morris headed off to Motlow State, where his father is a coach. He led Tennessee junior college pitchers with a 0.91 ERA, racking up 108 strikeouts in 79 innings. When he wasn't pitching, Morris hit and played center field, and scouts expressed bewilderment at his reckless abandon on the basepaths, which led to a broken bone in his left hand following a headfirst slide. Morris' stuff was as good or better than it was during 2005. His fastball sits between 90-93 mph, touching 95 with late life. His power breaking ball has excellent depth and grades as a plus pitch. He'll flash a rudimentary changeup and has improved his slider. His delivery is not pretty, but his arm works and his stuff is consistent, so an overhaul isn't likely. Because of his quick arm, he manages to overcome his mechanics, although his command is inconsistent. Morris maintained he wanted $1 million out of high school, and there's no reason to believe he'll settle for less after acquitting himself nicely in junior college.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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More than six years after being drafted in the first round by the Dodgers, Morris finally completed his long journey to the major leagues last season with a September callup. Morris had Tommy John surgery in 2007 and also has battled shoulder, toe and oblique problems in his professional career. He's the last player remaining with the organization from the three-team Jason Bay/Manny Ramirez trade in July 2008, as Craig Hansen, Andy LaRoche and Brandon Moss all washed out of Pittsburgh. The Pirates moved him to the bullpen at Altoona midway through the 2011 season, and that revived his career. Morris has stayed healthy in a relief role, and his fastball now sits at 92-94 mph and peaks at 96. He has a plus curveball for a second pitch and no longer has to worry about an inconsistent changeup. He has had high groundball rates throughout his career and significantly improved his control in 2012. It's not out of the question to project Morris as a major league closer, but his realistic ceiling is as a set-up man. He figures to make Pittsburgh's Opening Day roster because he's out of minor league options. -
The 26th overall pick in the 2006 draft, Morris is the last player remaining in the organization from the ill-fated Jason Bay/Manny Ramirez deal at the July 2008 trade deadline. The Pirates gave up Bay and received Andy LaRoche and Morris from the Dodgers and Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss from the Red Sox. Morris entered 2011 on track to crack Pittsburgh's rotation at some point during the season, but a disappointing performance in spring training got him sent back to Double-A for a second season. Things got worse, as he strained an oblique in mid-April and missed a month, then became a full-time reliever in mid-June. Morris' raw stuff plays better when he comes out of the bullpen, as he throws a 90-95 mph fastball and a mid- 80s slider. The latter is a plus pitch when it features sharp break. He no longer has to worry about mastering a changeup that never came easy to him. He should be more durable, too, after missing time with Tommy John surgery in 2007, biceps tendinitis in 2008 and foot surgery in 2009. Morris has the personality for relief work, as he pitches aggressively and no longer will have to hold anything in reserve like he did as a starter. He still needs to do a better job of throwing strikes, but he'll go to Triple-A to start the season and could make his major league debut by September. He has the arm to be a set-up man in the big leagues, and perhaps even a closer. -
A Dodgers first-round pick in 2006, Morris had the highest ceiling of the four prospects the Pirates acquired in the otherwise disastrous Jason Bay trade two years later. He had Tommy John surgery in 2007, biceps tendinitis in 2008, then foot surgery and a week-long suspension for berating an umpire in 2009. He rebounded in a big way last year, pitching in the Futures Game and helping Altoona win the Eastern League championship. Morris has the stuff of a frontline starter. He has a 92-94 mph fastball that has hit 96 mph when he has worked in relief. His curveball has a powerful downward arc, and he mixes it well with his fastball, which has some cutting life. He throws an average slider with late downward break. He has a changeup, too, but he shows little feel for it. Scouts love Morris' intensity, especially given his injury history, though some want to see him tone down his delivery a bit before fully believing he can hold up as a starter. Pittsburgh moved him to the bullpen late in the summer, primarily to limit his innings but also to address minor mechanical issues. Morris will start 2011 at Triple-A Indianapolis with the chance to make his big league debut later in the season. If he can stay healthy, he still might salvage something out of the Bay deal. -
Morris was part of a huge three-way deal at the 2008 trading deadline. The Red Sox sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers while receiving Jason Bay from the Pirates, and Pittsburgh got four youngsters: Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss from Boston, and Andy LaRoche and Morris from Los Angeles. The only one of the four who has yet to appear in the majors, Morris could be the jewel of the package for the Pirates--if he can stay healthy. After signing for $1.325 million as the 26th overall pick in the 2006 draft, he missed all of 2007 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He has pitched just 87 innings since joining Pittsburgh. Biceps tendinitis cut short his 2008 season, and he missed the first two months of 2009 following surgery to repair a torn ligament in his foot. On top of that, the Pirates suspended Morris for 10 days in early August when he berated an umpire after being removed from a game. Morris, who was added to the 40-man roster, has the ability to be a frontline starter. When he's physically sound and at his best, he has a 91-93 mph fastball that touches 95 and has good life. He also has a plus curveball with big break and a serviceable changeup. However, he has gone 4-11, 5.48 in 18 starts since the trade. His mechanics lack smoothness, which has contributed to his injuries and detracts from his control. Though he's only 22, Morris needs to start turning his potential into results. -
In the three-way trade that sent Jason Bay to the Red Sox and Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers, the Pirates acquired three big leaguers (Andy LaRoche from Los Angeles, Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss from Boston) and Morris. Like Brad Lincoln, Morris was a 2006 first-rounder who missed all of 2007 following Tommy John surgery. The Pirates shut him down late last season when he felt some shoulder pain. Morris' similarities to Lincoln extend to his stuff and his background as a two-way standout in college. He has a live arm and regained full velocity on his fastball after surgery, sitting at 91-93 mph and touching 95. His hard, big-breaking curveball is his money pitch. He scores points for his competitiveness and work ethic. Pittsburgh attributes Morris' shoulder soreness to simple fatigue, but he still will have to prove he can hold up over a full season. As with many young pitchers, his changeup is a work in progress. His mechanics aren't quite ideal, and he sometimes struggles to repeat them and flies open in his delivery. He lacks consistent control and command at this point. One of the few high-ceiling arms in the system, Morris likely will begin 2009 in high Class A. He could move quickly once he starts throwing strikes. He figures to be a fixture in the middle of Pittsburgh's rotation in time, but he'll get a late start to the 2009 season as he recovers from offseason surgery to repair a ligament in his right big toe. -
Originally drafted by the Rays in the third round out of high school in 2005, Morris agreed to a $1.4 million bonus but Tampa Bay's ownership failed to finalize the well above-slot deal. So he elected to play under his father Ricky, a pitching coach at Motlow State (Tenn.) CC, where he dominated, then signed with L.A. for $1.325 million. The knock on Morris as an amateur was his delivery, as he pitched with a stiff front side and threw across his body. Sure enough, he had an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery shortly after the end of his pro debut. Morris missed all of the 2007 season but made it back to the mound by instructional league. Dodgers officials said that his fastball was up to 95 mph there, and they worked on cleaning up his mechanics. During his debut, Morris pitched at 93 mph with good life and cutting action to his fastball. His hammer curveball also graded as a plus pitch with tight, hard spin. He showed some feel for his changeup and mixed in a below-average slider. He could begin 2008 in low Class A and has a ceiling of a No. 3 starter. -
After Tampa Bay drafted Morris in the third round in 2005 out of Tullahoma (Tenn.) High, the two sides agreed to a $1.4 million bonus that former Devil Rays ownership failed to follow through on. Morris hedged on signing as well, mostly because his father Ricky wanted him to play at Motlow State (Tenn.) CC, where Ricky is an assistant coach. Morris dominated the juco circuit, went back into the draft, and signed for $1.325 million as the 26th overall choice in 2006. He's got huge stuff and a funky delivery. Following a fantastic debut in the Pioneer League, where he rated as the No. 1 prospect, Morris had Tommy John surgery and was expected to miss all of the 2007 season. The gangly righthander has a stiff front side and throws across his body. His arm is loose and quick, and he's a good athlete, but the torque created by his delivery might have led to his elbow injury. Erratic command was also a byproduct of his mechanics, but if his mid-90s fastball and hammer curveball come back, he has impact potential. Morris pitches at 93-94 mph and bumped 96 in Ogden. His downer breaking ball has excellent depth and grades as a plus pitch. He'll flash a rudimentary changeup and a fringy slider. If all goes well in rehabilitation, Morris might return to the mound in time for instructional league.
Minor League Top Prospects
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For several years, the biggest hurdle standing between Morris and success has been his inability to stay on the mound. He sat out the entire 2007 season following Tommy John surgery and missed two months last year with a foot injury. Fully healthy in 2010, he responded with his best season as a pro. Morris' stuff hasn't suffered from the long layoffs. His fastball sits between 92-94 mph consistently and he also has two above-average if inconsistent breaking balls: a sharp, downward-breaking slider and a power curveball. His delivery isn't particularly clean, but he does show the ability to repeat it. Morris leaves his fastball up in the zone at times, and some scouts believe he profiles better as a closer. In short relief stints late in the season, he reached 96 mph with his fastball, 88 mph with his slider and 85 mph with his curve. "He didn't show me the feel and command, the ability to soften up his stuff to be a starter," one NL scout said. "But he isn't totally a thrower either. He's just so electric out of the bullpen, I could see that being the path he winds up taking." -
Morris agreed to a $1.4 million bonus after the Devil Rays took him in the third round in 2005, but the team dragged its feet closing it and it fell apart. After starring this spring at Motlow State (Tenn.) CC, where his dad Ricky is an assistant coach, he signed for $1.325 million as the 26th overall choice by the Dodgers. Control issues marred Morris' debut, but he showcased elite stuff. His arsenal starts with a 92-96 mph fastball, which is generated from his quick, loose arm action. His delivery is a little unconventional, although he seems to find a way to repeat it. With two strikes, Morris generates whiffs with a hard, 12-to-6 curveball with good bite. His breaking ball was the league's best. Morris hasn't developed a third pitch because he hasn't needed one much to this point. If he can make progress with his changeup and develop a more consistent delivery, he could take off in 2007.
