What to Expect from Athletics Pitcher Kade Morris

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What to Expect from Athletics Pitcher Kade Morris

Originally posted on New Baseball Media
By Chris Studley | Last updated Jun 2, 2026 6:07 PM ET

On June 2, the Athletics officially called up pitching prospect Kade Morris. Morris spent much of the last two seasons in Triple-A, where he’s navigated a turbulent pitching environment and managed to post a respectable ERA in that circuit. Now, he’ll look to help out a pitching staff stricken by injuries.

A Look at Morris

The Athletics acquired Kade Morris from the Mets two years ago in the Paul Blackburn deal, which at the time gave New York a depth arm. Morris was a third-round pick from Nevada one year earlier, and he pitched well in A-ball before the move.

He didn’t pitch particularly well in his initial run in 2024 down in High-A and Double-A, thanks to a lower strikeout ratio. However, things turned for the righty in 2025 at the Double-A level.

The now-23-year-old struck out 48 over 51 innings with Midland last season, posted a sub-3.00 ERA, and had one of the 10 highest groundball rates in the Texas League last season. His HR/9 ballooned in Triple-A last season, although that’s not much of a shock when taking into account just how hitter-friendly the Pacific Coast League is.

Morris is currently tied with Miguel Ullola for fifth on the PCL strikeout leaderboard with 49, although that’s not terribly impressive when one takes into account that the righty was second in innings thrown (60.1) before the promotion.

For Morris, his fastball will cap out at 96 MPH, and mostly sit in that 92-94 MPH range. Whip-like arm action, lower arm angle, and a very diverse mix of pitches that includes two fastballs, a sweeper, a slider, a slower curveball, and a splitter.

(via New Baseball Media)

Only one of his pitches at the Triple-A level had a swing-and-miss rate, and that would be the sweeper (37%). Not a shock that a sweeper is in the arsenal, given that the pitch, by nature, plays well off a sinker. And Morris has one, a weapon that’s helped induce groundball action.

His GB% this season was a tick above 51% with Las Vegas. Morris did give up a lot of barreled-up contact (9.3%) but again, it’s important to note that the PCL is not a league for pitchers.

The Athletics officially selected Kade Morris’ contract on June 2.

Analysis

Morris’ promotion was one of several pitching-related moves made by the Athletics. Mason Barnett, another interesting young arm, was recalled. Michael Kelly and Jacob Lopez were optioned to Triple-A.

The Athletics have had problems filling innings this season, even though the club has remained competitive through the season. J.T. Ginn and Jeffrey Springs have been fine overall. However, injuries and other issues have whittled away depth.

Luis Severino and Aaron Civale, the latter of whom has skated by the thin of his teeth this season, are on the IL. And the aforementioned Lopez, who pitched well last season, currently has the fifth-highest opponents’ wOBA (.389) among starting pitchers this season.

With all of that stated, there’s room for some innings-eaters on the club. Morris, who is a strike-thrower by nature, even though his BB/9 is close to 4.5 this season, may be of help for a team that needs to keep the ball in the yard.

This article first appeared on New Baseball Media and was syndicated with permission.

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