Julio Morban
| AB | 1462 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .27 |
| OBP | .328 |
| SLG | .428 |
| HR | 35 |
- Full name Julio Alberto Morban
- Born 02/13/1992 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: L
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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One of the higher-priced international signings the Mariners have landed in the past decade, Morban signed for $1.1 million in 2008. He's generally hit whenever healthy since then, but he's yet to play 100 games in a season. He saw his 2013 season end early when he broke his right tibia sliding into second base. He tried to return from his broken leg quickly in 2014, but he was a shell of his normal self and was shut down. He returned healthier in mid-June and once again showed hand-eye coordination and a smooth swing. Morban's swing has some length but plus bat speed allows him to handle velocity. A below-average runner, he fits best in left field, though his above-average arm works well in right. Morban has strength, but his swing is more geared for line drives than loft power. Morban is running out of time to prove he can both stay healthy and provide enough thump to be a big league corner outfielder. -
The Mariners have long sought the next Ken Griffey, but with Morban they might have to settle for production more along the lines of Griffey senior than junior. Viewed by scouts as the top hitter available on the international amateur market in 2008, Morban signed with the Mariners for $1.1 million, and his level, lefthanded swing produces power, though not necessarily the loft to profile as a top-end home run threat. He generates above-average power with a wide-open stance and should be a threat to annually hit 15-plus home runs as a major league regular. Improved selectivity could help Morban hit for a consistently high average and improve his walk total. He's aggressive to a fault, especially against lefthanders, batting .241/.310/.329 against them at Double-A Jackson in 2013. After the first four years of his career were marked by injury and inconsistency, Morban started putting things together in 2012 at high Class A High Desert and had another strong year at Jackson in 2013 before breaking the fibula in his right calf in mid-August on a slide into second base. His below-average speed and range limits him to a corner-outfield spot, perhaps left field even though his arm is good enough for right. A member of the 40-man roster, Morban will start 2014 at Triple-A Tacoma. -
Nagging injuries have limited Morban to an average of 55 games during the past four seasons after he signed out of the Dominican Republic for $1.1 million. Even so, the Mariners added him to their 40-man roster this winter because of his above-average hitting ability. He uses a balanced setup and a compact swing to hit to all fields with ease. He frequently squares the ball up and mostly has a line-drive stroke, but shows the efficiency and bat speed for at least average power potential from left-center to the right-field line. Morban is a good athlete and a solid runner who saw time at all three outfield spots last season, getting his most action in center field. He profiles better on a corner, however, and has the plus arm strength for right field. Hamstring problems have plagued Morban repeatedly, leading to a pair of disabled-list stints in 2012, and he hurt his wrist last year when he ran into a wall. Because he's 21 and has just 810 pro at-bats, starting him back in high Class A this year is a logical move. -
Few if any clubs scout Latin America more efficiently than the Mariners, who snagged Morban for $1.1 million in July 2008. Though he doesn't have the explosive power of fellow Dominican outfielder Guillermo Pimentel, Morban has a better feel for hitting, more speed and a stronger defensive profile. Seattle intended to challenge him in the Rookie-level Appalachian League last season, but a left shoulder sprain grounded him in the Arizona League for all but four games. At 17, he still ranked as one of the AZL's youngest players, though the bum shoulder limited him to just six games in the field. A pure hitter with a compact stroke, Morban shows above-average bat speed and the willingness to hit to all fields. He ought to be an above-average hitter in time. Despite his youth, Morban's mature frame doesn't leave much room for projection, but he already has enough thunder in his bat to hit for average or better power. He runs and throws well, but perhaps not well enough to hold down center field on a daily basis. His instincts enhance his game on both sides of the ball. If Morban's bat develops, he profiles as a starting corner outfielder. -
One of the top bats available on the 2008 international market, Morban signed out of the Dominican Republic for $1.1 million, the sixth-highest figure of the signing period. Some scouts even preferred him to the two Latin American outfielders who received the highest bonuses among position players--Dominican Rafael Rodriguez (Giants, $2.55 million) and Venezuelan Yorman Rodriguez (Reds, $2.5 million)--saying that Morban had a more advanced feel for hitting. The Mariners are convinced that he'll hit for average, as one club official extolled him for his practically unparalleled hand-eye coordination and pitch recognition among 16-year-olds. Morban has a clean lefthanded swing and showed a willingness to use the whole field during instructional league. He may not develop into a big-time home run threat, but he has average raw power. An average runner, he'll see time in center field as he begins his pro career, but he's probably best suited for left field because of his fringy arm strength. Morban has a lot to prove in the years to come, but if it all comes together he could be a top-of-the-order presence.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Many scouts assessed Morban as the best pure hitter available on the 2008 international market, prompting the Mariners to invest $1.1 million in his services. He earned passage on Seattle?s 40-man roster last offseason despite spending roughly half his pro career on the disabled list and not advancing past high Class A in four seasons. Judging by the raves Morban received by evaluators in the SL, Seattle correctly gauged his offensive potential. Before he broke the fibula in his right leg on a slide into second base in mid-August, Morban had proven that his career year in 2012 was no High Desert mirage. He showed an ability to work his way into fastball counts, whereupon he attacks the ball with an explosive lefty swing that produces enough power to profile on an outfield corner. A level swing plane may cap his home run totals, though he probably will hit 20 at maturity. Scouts like Morban best in right field, where his average range and arm play, though he?s a below-average runner and non-factor on the bases. -
After signing Morban for $1.1 million last summer, the Mariners aggressively assigned him to an advanced Rookie league (the Appalachian) as a 17-year-old. He tried to play through an AC sprain in his left shoulder suffered in May, but after four games he returned to the organization's Arizona training complex for the remainder of the summer. Morban was forced to DH for most of the season, only getting back in the outfield in the last week for the eventual league champions. Morban has a smooth swing but needs to refine his approach at the plate. He has solid power and average speed. He stands out in center field, where his instincts give him more range than his pure speed would suggest, and has a plus arm with good carry on his throws. "Once he understands who he is and the kind of hitter he is," Mariners manager Andy Bottin said, "he's going to take off and he's going to be fun to watch."
