Sean Morgan
| IP | 120 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.65 |
| WHIP | 1.525 |
| BB/9 | 4.8 |
| SO/9 | 7.875 |
- Full name Sean Michael Morgan
- Born 01/15/1986 in Madison, WI
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Tulane
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Drafted in the 4th round (133rd overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007 (signed for $202,500).
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Morgan shared outstanding pitcher honors at the 2003 World Wood Bat Championship with Yovani Gallardo, who's now with the Brewers and is one of the best pitching prospects in the minors. He could have been a third-round pick as a Texas high schooler in 2004 had he not been intent on attending Tulane, and he'll go in roughly the same range three years later. He has one of the best sliders in the draft, along with a solid-average fastball. His maximum-effort delivery isn't pretty but works for him, and he needs to watch his weight. Morgan's fastball has ranged from 88-92 mph and touched 94 mph, and he threw harder as a freshman when the Green Wave used him as a reliever. That's the role he projects to fill as a pro, as he can carve up hitters with his slider and won't have to worry as much about using his changeup. The main concern about using him out of the bullpen is that it often takes him an inning to get rolling. Morgan carried as much as 230 pounds in the fall, but he dropped 15 pounds after getting mono and looks better without the extra weight. Neither he nor Tulane performed well down the stretch, with Morgan struggling with his command, a byproduct of his less-than-smooth mechanics.
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Diamondbacks scouting director Tom Allison had plenty of background on Morgan because the Brewers, Allison's former organization, drafted him in 2004 out of a Texas high school. He shared outstanding pitcher honors with Yovani Gallardo at the 2003 Perfect Game/Baseball America World Wood Bat Championship, but he fell to the 25th round of the '04 draft because of his strong commitment to Tulane. Allison grabbed him again in 2007 as part of the group of Friday-night college pitchers he took at the top of the draft. A fourth-rounder, Morgan signed for $202,500. He long has been recognized for his outstanding slider, which was one of the best in the 2007 draft, and that pitch and his big body draw comparisons to fellow Texan Jason Jennings. Morgan's fastball sits at 88-92 mph, though he operates at the high end of that range when working out of the bullpen. He hasn't used a changeup much. Morgan has a maximum-effort delivery that affects his command, so the Diamondbacks are trying to smooth it out a bit. He worked in relief in his pro debut after pitching 103 innings for Tulane, and that may be the role he's best suited for down the road. But he'll start his first full season in the rotation at one of Arizona's Class A affiliates.
