A.J. Morris Stats & Scouting Report

IP	10
ERA	6.3
WHIP	1.7
BB/9	7.2
SO/9	8.1

Full name Anthony J. Morris
Born 12/01/1986 in Houston, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Kansas State
Debut 05/24/2016
Drafted in the 4th round (112th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2009 (signed for $270,000).

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Morris has been one of the biggest surprises of the college season, setting Kansas State single-season records for wins (14) and strikeouts (100 in 116 innings). He handed Arizona State's Mike Leake his only loss of the season, and would have dealt Missouri's Kyle Gibson a defeat if the Wildcats' bullpen hadn't blown a lead for him. It has been a far cry from his 4-4, 6.04 performance as a sophomore. Morris has dominated with just two pitches, a 90-91 mph fastball that tops out at 94 and a solid slider. He locates both with precision, usually on the corners and at the knees, and his command allows them both to play above their average grades. Morris is throwing from a lower arm slot this year, giving him more lateral life on his pitches, and he has scrapped an ineffective curveball. Hitters have trouble picking up his pitches. He also has added 15 pounds and now carries 200 on his 6-foot-2 frame. Morris hasn't needed a changeup and some area scouts say they haven't even see him throw one while warming up between innings. His emergence began in the West Coast League last summer, and some clubs tried to sign him as a free agent after he went undrafted last June as a sophomore-eligible. Some scouts worry about his size, arm action and lack of a third pitch, but a team that believes heavily in performance could take him early in the second round.

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Morris went from undrafted redshirt sophomore in 2008 to first-team All-American and fourth-round pick in 2009, thanks largely to improved mechanics and command. He started his first full pro season in the Potomac rotation, but the wear and tear of starting every fifth day gave him a sore arm, so the Nationals moved him to the bullpen in August. Morris' fastball played up in his new role, sitting at 93-95 mph, and his arm felt better once Washington limited him to two innings per outing. His lack of a reliable changeup probably makes him better suited for relief anyway. Morris' fastball has explosive, heavy sink and bore, helping him post a 2.16 groundout/ airout ratio as a pro. He also has a solid slider with hard bite that he can throw for strikes or use as a chase pitch. He commands his fastball better than his slider, and he attacks the strike zone aggressively. The Nationals are still having him work on a changeup, but it has a ways to go. Morris could move quickly as a reliever. He'll start the season in Double-A and could reach Washington by the second half.
Morris arrived at Kansas State as a skinny, 164-pound Texas kid who wasn't ready for the Big 12 Conference, so he redshirted in 2006. After two up-and-down seasons, he had a breakout summer in the West Coast League in 2008, leading the circuit in strikeouts and drawing free-agent interest from scouts after having gone unpicked as a draft-eligible sophomore. He returned to Kansas State for his junior year and exploded onto the national scene, setting school records for wins (14) and strikeouts (100 in 116 innings) en route to first-team All-America honors. In the process, he led the Wildcats to their first NCAA tournament appearance ever. After signing him for $270,000 as a fourth-rounder, the Nationals sent Morris to the Gulf Coast League to focus on adding muscle, and he's now up to 200 pounds. In college, Morris dominated exclusively with a 90-91 mph fastball that touches 94 and an average slider. His fastball cuts, sinks and rides, and he commands it on the corners and at the knees. He worked on his changeup in his pro debut and instructional league, and it has the makings of giving him a third average pitch. He also repeated his low three-quarters arm slot more consistently in instructs and improved his ability to hold baserunners, reducing his times to the plate from 1.6 to 1.3 seconds. Morris still must add strength and refine his changuep if he is to stick as a starter, but his competitiveness and ability to pound the strike zone should make him a big leaguer even if he's relegated to a relief role. Morris could begin 2010 in high Class A and move quickly.