Adrian Morejon Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects
Track Record: The Padres' biggest prize from their 2016-17 international spending spree, Morejon became a prospect to watch on Cuba's junior national team and signed with the Padres for a franchise-record $11 million. Various injuries have since limited him to 196.1 innings over five years as a pro, including an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery last April after he opened the year in the Padres' starting rotation.
Scouting Report: Morejon has premium stuff from the left side that includes a 94-96 mph fastball that can touch 99 with ease, albeit with scattershot command. Morejon pairs that offering with a sweeping, 79-82 mph curveball, two variations of a changeup—a traditional one with sink and run and a diving knuckle-change that gets swings and misses—an emerging slider and a sinker he began throwing in 2021. Morejon has spent most of his big league time in the Padres bullpen, which might be his ultimate landing spot if he can't shake the durability concerns that have dogged him since he signed. He has now spent time on the injured list with injuries to his forearm, triceps, elbow and shoulder at various points and has yet to pitch more than 65 innings in a season.
The Future: Morejon will be slow-played as he returns from surgery and is tentatively slated to return to the mound in the second half of the 2022 season. The Padres continue to dream of developing him as a starter, but that goal is a long way off.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 45. Curveball: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 40.
