Michael Morse
| AB | 2569 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .274 |
| OBP | .331 |
| SLG | .457 |
| HR | 105 |
- Full name Michael John Morse
- Born 03/22/1982 in Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 245 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Nova
- Debut 05/31/2005
- Drafted in the 3rd round (82nd overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2000 (signed for $365,000).
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The third player in the Freddy Garcia trade with the White Sox, Morse drilled 17 homers in 95 games last year after hitting 18 in his first four seasons combined. That breakthrough would be cause for more excitement if Morse had much of a chance to stay at shortstop and hadn't been suspended twice in 2004. Chicago suspended him shortly before the trade and Seattle suspended him again for the final three weeks of the season, reportedly for the use of over-the-counter banned substances. Morse has plenty of power, though his aggressiveness and lack of strike-zone discipline make it unlikely he'll ever hit for much of an average. He also has a strong arm and his hands are OK, but his lack of first-step quickness and range will limit his defensive options at the major league level. Third base and first base might be his only possibilities, and newcomers Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson are imposing roadblocks there. Morse likely will get more exposure at new positions in Triple-A this season. -
Morse teamed with Ruddy Yan to give Carolina League champion Winston-Salem a dynamic double-play combination. Morse provided uncommon power for a middle infielder, while Yan led the league in steals. Morse has made a station-to-station climb through the system since being drafted in the third round in 2000. His pop is his strong suit, but he needs to make more contact and take more walks. At 6-foot-4, Morse is taller than most shortstops and there's some worry that he might outgrow the position. But he has a solid arm and still covers enough ground. He was steadier defensively last year after spending some time at third base in 2002. A return trip to high Class A might make some sense, giving Morse a chance to build on success.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Morse hadn't delivered much on his power potential in his first four years in the White Sox organization, but he broke out with 17 homers in 2004--one shy of his previous career total. He was so good, in fact, that he got traded to the Mariners in a midseason deal for Freddy Garcia to Chicago. At 6-foot-4, Morse doesn't look like the ideal shortstop, but surprisingly most managers and scouts said they'd leave him there, at least for now. "It comes from seeing him on an everyday basis," Shines said. "You'd move him to third base if you saw him once. But his feet looked good at shortstop and he has enough arm, and he finally believes he can play the position." Morse's offense should be good enough if he does have to move to third. He has legitimate juice in his bat and is learning the finer points of hitting, though he still needs better patience and pitch recognition.
