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Sep 27, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Luis Morales (58) throws a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

How Concerning is Luis Morales' Slow Spring?

Originally posted on Oakland Athletics on SI
By Dylan Quinn | Last updated Mar 13, 2026 12:37 PM ET

After being arguably the most productive starter for the A's in his small sample size during his debut in the 2025 season, 23-year-old Luis Morales was looking to build off that success and have another strong year when spring began. However, his first 12 innings this spring haven't looked as strong as one would hope for a potential emerging ace.

Morales has made four appearances, three of them being starts for the green and gold. In that time, he's allowed 16 hits and seven walks, along with nine runs, with eight of them being earned. As of March 13, he holds a 6.00 ERA with a 1.92 WHIP this spring, which is very underwhelming if you're focused on the spring results.

One factor in his struggles has likely been the inclusion of a new pitch, a sinker, which is seemingly replacing his slider from a year ago. In his most recent start, he threw 18 sinkers, good for 24% of his total pitches. It resulted in one called strike and 10 swings, but no whiffs. It's still a work in progress, but that is what spring is for.

His start still ended up going fairly well, with the righty going 4 2/3 innings, giving up four hits, two runs (one earned), walking two, and striking out three.

With veterans Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs and Aaron Civale locked into the rotation, with only the final two spots really up for grabs. Southpaw Jacob Lopez will likely get another shot in the club's rotation after a strong 2025 campaign if he's built up enough for Opening Day, and Morales is looking to take a spot as well.

Jack Perkins and J.T. Ginn are also looking to either win that final rotation spot or make the team's Opening Day bullpen.

Should A's fans be concerned about Morales' cold start?

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Sure, the 6.00 ERA and WHIP approaching two looks pretty rough. However, there are some signs that Luis Morales will be okay heading into the 2026 season. In his twelve innings pitched, he's recorded 10 punch-outs and has walked 7 opposing hitters. Unfortunately, those hitters have a .300 batting average against Morales.

With two weeks until Opening Day, it would be nice to see Morales put together a couple of nice starts to wrap up his spring, and give himself some confidence heading into the regular season. Even with the rough start, Morales should still win one of the final two spots in the A's rotation.

Because Morales was so dominant in the regular season as a rookie, sometimes sophomore slumps happen. However, the A's coaching staff will have some previous success to work with to help him return to his 2025 form if needed. It's also worth noting that as much as spring training stats can show who is hot and ready to go, they don't always matter.

Different players use spring in different ways. Some use it to work on new pitches or different ways of getting outs (pitch mixes), while others are looking to be effective and crisp from the get-go.

Since Morales has had success in his short MLB career to this point, one slow start to a spring will not define his future with the club. Just last summer, he was ranked as one of the A's top prospects. His taste of success last season should give him plenty to built upon for the upcoming campaign.

For more A's news and insights, follow Dylan on X, or the site @InsideTheAs!

This article first appeared on Oakland Athletics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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