Sunday Notes: David Morgan Picked Up His Sinker in the Dugout Between Innings

When David Morgan was profiled in final yr’s rankings of the San Diego Padres’ prime prospects, it was identified that the 26-year-old right-hander had joined the group as a non-drafted free agent in 2022. Furthermore, he’d barely taken the mound. A two-way participant at Hope Worldwide College — an NAIA college in Fullerton, California — Morgan had thrown simply nine-and-a-third innings. On the time he signed, he was enjoying for the Portland Pickles in the summertime collegiate West Coast League (for which Rob Neyer is the commissioner).

Morgan’s backstory units him aside him from his MLB brethren, however what about from a pitch-specific standpoint? Are there any differentiating traits?

“My potential to choose stuff up and form of run with it’s in all probability probably the most distinctive factor about me,” mentioned Morgan, who made his big-league debut final Might and has since logged a 3.41 ERA and a 4.15 FIP over 52 appearances comprising 60-and-two-thirds frames. “Final yr, after I needed to throw a sinker, it wasn’t actually a studying course of. It was in-between innings. I got here into the dugout, grabbed a brand new grip, and threw it the subsequent inning.”

The outing, his sixth within the majors, got here on June 10 with the Padres holding a commanding late-inning lead towards the Los Angeles Dodgers. When Morgan returned to the dugout after working the eighth, pitching coach Ruben Niebla pulled him apart and requested if he’d ever thrown a sinker. The reply was sure and no. Morgan had toyed round with one, however that was about it.

With the sport not doubtful — San Diego led 11-1 — Niebla “gave [him] a grip and mentioned to exit and throw it subsequent inning.” Morgan did, the pitch “danced round somewhat bit,” and the remaining is historical past. By season’s finish, he’d thrown his sinker at a 21.5% clip, and this yr the utilization is as much as 34.7%.

“It’s fairly straight up,” Morgan mentioned of the grip. “I’m down the center of these two seams, holding that one seam on the center finger and simply form of releasing it off of that. It holds its axis fairly nicely. Those I had tinkered with the previous have been extra of a seam-shift, form of attempting to chop it. That was the unique grip I attempted — a supination grip — however I ended up realizing that I used to be mainly throwing a four-seamer with a distinct grip.

“I’d thrown one in a few bullpens in the course of the Fall League in 2024,” the righty elaborated on the sooner experimentation. “I bought a pitch grip from Leo Rosales, who’s a pitching coach in our group. I threw a couple of of them in video games, however I don’t assume any have been within the zone, so I made a decision the pitch wasn’t going to work for me. Now it’s a pitch that does work for me.”

As is true for many anybody who takes the mound, not the whole lot works as meant each time. After a robust begin to the season — seven appearances with only one run (unearned) allowed over 10-and-a-third innings — Morgan hit a tough patch, getting banged round in 4 straight outings. In an effort get him again on monitor, the Padres despatched the Mission Viejo native to Triple-A El Paso earlier this week.

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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS

Larry Bowa went 6 for 11 towards Mike Corkins.

Pee Wee Reese went 6 for 8 towards Corky Valentine.

Corky Miller went 2 for two towards Bartolo Colon.

Bobby Wine went 11 for 23 towards Hal Woodeshick.

Ralph Winegarner went 2 for five towards Crimson Ruffing.

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Matt Vierling had a stable spring coaching. The Detroit Tigers outfielder/third baseman logged a team-best 14 hits, eight of them for further bases, whereas placing up a 125 wRC+. He hasn’t fared practically as nicely within the common season. With the calendar now turned to Might, Vierling is slashing a comparably lackluster .212/.270/.348 with one residence run and a 68 wRC+.

It’s usually mentioned that spring coaching numbers don’t matter, and with that in thoughts, I requested Vierling for his opinion. Is what occurred within the Grapefruit or Cactus League fully solid apart come Opening Day, or are gamers mindfully conscious of what they skilled within the month of March?

“Spring coaching issues, for certain,” mentioned Vierling, whom I’d hoped to speak to on my mid-March Florida journey, however didn’t get a chance to take action till the Tigers visited Fenway Park a couple of weeks in the past. “I believe when you have a foul spring by way of numbers, or your swing doesn’t really feel proper… I’ve seen guys who’ve struggled in spring, after which one thing clicks on the very finish. That’s an ideal [scenario], as a result of they’re going into the season feeling good. After which you may have guys who hit very well within the spring, however form of lose that feeling towards the tip. They stroll into the season form of misplaced. So, I do assume spring coaching issues, not statistically, however the way you’re feeling.”

How did the veteran of six MLB seasons really feel this time round?

“I had a kind of springs the place I felt actually good, however then slowed down somewhat bit,” he instructed me. “After which the season brings a complete new set of challenges. You’re on the market actually attempting to win video games. It issues, so there’s a mindset change.”

A mindset change that features strain to carry out…

“It may well should you let it,” Vierling replied. “You’ll be able to’t let it, however subconsciously it does. It has an impact, for certain.”

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A pair of 2026 spring training-regular season stat comps to chew on

Cincinnati’s Matt McLain went 27-for-53 with a 1.540 OPS within the spring. He’s 24-for-120 with a .614 OPS within the common season.

Milwaukee’s Garrett Mitchell went 3-for-37 with a .407 OPS within the spring. He’s 21-for-88 with a .749 OPS within the common season.

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Spring coaching additionally got here up after I talked to Nathan Lukes previous to the beginning of the common season.

“As athletes, we at all times need to get higher,” mentioned the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder, who led Sunday Notes one week in the past. “It’s humorous listening to individuals complain when guys aren’t hitting in spring coaching, yada yada. We spend the offseason attempting to get higher. We’re always looking for various things to change, or change, to enhance — and we don’t know if these issues are going to work till spring coaching. When spring coaching rolls round, generally guys wrestle, as a result of the issues they labored on aren’t clicking. Then it’s about looking for one thing else to click on.”

For Lukes, this previous offseason’s experiment proved ineffective.

“I attempted decreasing my fingers, in my stance,” he defined. “I used to be looking for that aggressive edge, and I assumed that was going to make me faster to the ball. As a substitute, it made it in order that I couldn’t actually hit the ball. [The adjustment] was additionally speculated to make me somewhat extra relaxed, however that wasn’t the case after I stepped within the field. It made me extra tense after I had a pitcher on the mound. There may be numerous trial and error once you’re on this career.”

Lukes went 12-for-36 on the spring. He started the common season 13-for-52 earlier than touchdown on the IL with a hamstring pressure on April 25.

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A quiz:

The final time a participant had 20 or extra triples in a single season was 2007, when that quantity was reached in each the American and Nationwide Leagues. Which two batters recorded a minimum of 20 three-baggers that yr? (A touch: in addition they had 20 or extra residence runs.)

The reply could be discovered beneath.

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NEWS NOTES

Corky Withrow, an outfielder who went hitless in 9 at-bats whereas showing in six video games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963, died on April 22 at age 88. A local of Excessive Coal, West Virginia, Withrow hit for energy down on the farm, slugging 211 residence runs, 34 of them with the Texas League’s Austin Senators in 1962. He was drafted by the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers in 1959, however didn’t play basketball professionally.

SABR’s Asian Baseball Committee might be internet hosting a digital occasion with Tuffy Rhodes on Thursday Might 7 at 8:30. Recognized stateside for homering 3 times for the Chicago Cubs on Opening Day 1994, Rhodes went on to change into some of the prolific residence run hitters in Japanese baseball historical past. You’ll be able to register for the occasion right here.

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The reply to the quiz is Curtis Granderson, who legged out 23 triples with the Detroit Tigers, and Jimmy Rollins, who had 20 with the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Left on the cutting-room ground from my current dialog with Travis Bazzana was his response to my asking if he was an enormous fan of the ABL rising up.

“Oh, yeah,” replied the Australian-born Cleveland Guardians infielder, who made his MLB debut on Tuesday. “My dad and I’d go to possibly two video games every week, in Sydney. Then, from age 15 via 17, I used to be on the [Sydney Blue Sox] improvement roster, so I bought to coach with the crew. I had restricted at-bats, in all probability had 40 in three years, however being round an expert clubhouse earlier than I bought to school was massive improvement for me.”

The standard of play in his homeland’s prime league?

“The ABL is form of like a wildcard, since you get various things on completely different nights” mentioned Bazzana, echoing what Staff Australia and former MLB catcher Dave Nilsson instructed me this previous winter. “One night time you may be seeing a 16-year-old child from Australia throwing 88 [mph], and one other night time you may be seeing a Excessive-A prospect with the Rays throwing 96, however nonetheless studying the way to command it. You may be dealing with somebody who’s 35 and performed skilled baseball for 10 years. There may be such a big selection of gamers.

“[Comparatively], Japan and Korea have very regular depth,” added Bazzana. “There are numerous good baseball gamers who do fundamentals very well. They’re not going to beat themselves. In Australia, it’s such as you’re choosing from a jar. You don’t know what you’re going to get on any given night time.”

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS

NPB umpire Takuto Kawakami, who was struck on the facet of the top by a bat throughout an April 16 recreation, has reportedly been moved out of an ICU unit, though he has but to regain consciousness. The damage occurred when a Tokyo Yakult Swallows participant had the bat slip out of his fingers whereas swinging and lacking.

Teruaki Sato is slashing .405/.465/.784 with eight residence runs and a 257 wRC+ over 127 plate appearances for the Hanshin Tigers. The 27-year-old, left-handed-hitting third baseman/outfielder homered 40 instances with a 182 wRC+ a yr in the past. He’s reportedly in line to be posted on the conclusion of the NPB season.

Seong-han Park is slashing .436/.533/.627 with three residence runs and a 218 wRC+ over 137 plate appearances with the KBO’s SSG Landers. The 26-year-old, left-handed-hitting shortstop had seven residence runs and a 114 wRC+ a yr in the past.

Marcelo Martinez has thrown 17-and-a-third scoreless innings over three begins for the Chinese language Skilled Baseball League’s Wei Chuan Dragons. A local of Reynosa, Mexico, the 29-year-old southpaw pitched within the Kansas Metropolis Royals system from 2018-2023, and for the CPBL’s Rakuten Monkeys in 2024-2025.

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Bob Watson was a productive hitter earlier than happening to change into the final supervisor of each the Houston Astros and New York Yankees, and later a vp of Main League Baseball. A primary baseman/outfielder who performed from 1966-1984, principally with Houston, Watson twice drove in over 100 runs, and completed his profession with 184 residence runs and a pair of All-Star berths.

In a current dialog with one among his former Astros teammates, I opined that numerous followers, notably within the present era, in all probability aren’t all that conversant in Watson.

“That’s as a result of he performed in Houston,’ mentioned Joe Sambito, a southpaw whose recollections of J.R. Richard have been featured right here in Sunday Notes a couple of weeks in the past. “No one actually knew the Astros. We performed in anonymity. However Bob Watson was a pacesetter. From the very first time I walked into spring coaching, everybody knew that Bob Watson was in cost. He didn’t have pace, and he didn’t have the house run numbers as a result of we performed within the Astrodome, however he might hit. His potential was compromised by the place we performed.”

From 1972-1978, Watson averaged 16 residence runs and 89 RBIs whereas slashing .305/.375/.461 with a 137 wRC+ whereas sporting an Astros uniform. Over his 19-year profession, he homered 184 instances with a .295/.364/.447 slash line and a 128 wRC+. Jay Jaffe wrote a remembrance when the erstwhile slugger died in 2020.

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FARM NOTES

Caleb Bonemer is slashing .286/.405/.736 with 11 residence runs and a 188 wRC+ over 111 plate appearances for the Excessive-A Winston-Salem Sprint. A second-round in 2024 out of Okemos (MI) Excessive Faculty, the 20-year-old shortstop/third baseman within the Chicago White Sox system is No. 33 on our Prime 100.

Seth Hernandez has 41 strikeouts and has allowed simply 10 hits and three runs in 22 innings for the Low-A Bradenton Marauders. Drafted sixth total final yr out of Corona (CA) Excessive Faculty, the 19-year-old right-hander within the Pittsburgh Pirates system is No. 45 on our Prime 100.

Anthony Eyanson has 34 strikeouts and simply three walks over 20-and-a-third innings for the Excessive-A Greenville Drive. A 3rd-round choose final yr out of LSU, the 21-year-old right-hander within the Boston Crimson Sox system has surrendered seven hits and one run.

The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Low-A , Twins) demolished the Daytona Tortugas (Reds) on Thursday by a rely of 24-8. Bruin Agbayani, a 19-year-old shortstop whom Minnesota chosen within the sixth spherical of final yr’s draft out of a Honolulu highschool, went 4-for-6 with 5 runs scored. His father, Benny Agbayani, performed for 3 MLB groups, primarily the New York Mets, from 1998-2002.

On Wednesday, the Visalia Rawhide (Low-A, Diamondbacks) scored six runs within the backside of the ninth inning to beat the San Jose Giants (San Francisco) by a rating of 9-8. The rally, which started with two walks and a pair of HBPs, was capped by a two-out, three-run homer by 20-year-old catcher Carlos Virahonda.

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A random obscure former participant snapshot:

Jack Spring was half of what’s in all probability one of the best commerce in St. Louis Cardinals historical past. A southpaw from Spokane, Washington who pitched for seven MLB groups throughout the 1955-1965 seasons, Spring was one among six gamers concerned within the June 1964 deal that despatched Lou Brock to St. Louis and Ernie Broglio to the Chicago Cubs. His tenure with each golf equipment was temporary and inside that very same season. In a profession that included 155 appearances and a 12-5 won-lost document, Spring was sans a choice whereas hurling a mixed 9 frames for the NL rivals.

Spring spent a number of years within the Pacific Coast League, toeing the rubber for groups such because the San Francisco Seals and Portland Beavers. He later managed within the Northwest League. In 1972, Spring was on the helm of the Walla Walla Rainbows, a California Angels affiliate whose roster included Kurt Russell, a second baseman higher identified for having starred in quite a few movies.

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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE

Again once they have been struggling to make ends meet within the minors, some Washington Nationals gamers had offseason jobs that included hanging drywall, digging trenches, and taking pictures coyotes. Spencer Nusbaum wrote about it at The Athletic.

Franklin D. Roosevelt held his last rally at Fenway Park a couple of days earlier than profitable the 1944 presidential election. Christopher Chavis wrote about it at Baseball and Us.

Followers holding rating on the ballpark has seen a resurgence lately. Jacob Feldman has the story at Sportico.

Pitcher Record’s Jack Foley wrote about how there are two variations of Crimson Sox southpaw Connelly Early, one who assaults left-handed hitters, and one who assaults right-handed hitters.

Cincinnati Reds pitchers tied an MLB document yesterday by strolling seven consecutive batters. Mike Axisa has the story at CBS Sports activities.

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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS

Houston Astros pitchers have walked 183 batters, probably the most within the majors. Seattle Mariners pitchers have walked 82 batters, the fewest within the majors. Astros and Mariners pitchers went into the weekend tied for probably the most HBPs, with 21 every (the Astros now have 22).

Boston Crimson Sox southpaw Ranger Suarez had 78 strikeouts and one stroll over 80-and-two-thirds innings pitching within the Venezuelan Summer time League in 2014.

Crimson Sox left-handers have mixed to throw 166-and-a-third innings this season, probably the most of any crew. Conversely. Crimson Sox right-handers have mixed to throw 123 innings, the fewest of any crew. They’re the one MLB membership with extra lefty innings than proper innings.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes is 5-0 with a 0.53 ERA in six profession begins towards the Cincinnati Reds. He’s 0-5 with a 2.95 ERA in seven profession begins towards the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Chicago White Sox (38), Seattle Mariners (38), and St. Louis Cardinals (43) have hit the fewest triples for the reason that begin of the 2023 season. Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll has hit 45 triples for the reason that begin of the 2023 season.

On immediately’s date in 1998, the Cleveland Indians scored 5 runs after two have been out within the ninth inning to beat the Tampa Bay Satan Rays 10-8. Sandy Alomar Jr. walked it off with a three-run homer off of Roberto Hernandez.

On immediately’s date in 1930, the Brooklyn Robins scored 5 instances within the prime of the tenth inning, then held on for a 11-10 win over the St.Louis Cardinals at Sportsman’s Park. Johnny Frederick had a five-hit recreation for the profitable facet.

On immediately’s date in 1912, the New York Highlanders tallied 10 runs within the prime of the ninth inning, solely to have their rally fall brief in an 18-15 loss to the Philadelphia Athletics. Corridor of Fame left-hander Eddie Plank, who logged 326 profession wins, got here out of the bullpen to document the ultimate two outs.

Gamers born on immediately’s date embrace Joe Kmak, a catcher who performed in 51 video games for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1993, and in 19 video games for the Chicago Cubs in 1995. A local of Napa, California, Kmak counts one residence run amongst his 37 base knocks, having taken Tyler Inexperienced deep in an 8-7 Cubs conquest of the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Discipline.

Additionally born on immediately’s date was Dan Bankhead, who on August 26, 1947 turned the primary African American pitcher in MLB historical past when he took the mound for the Brooklyn Dodgers in a recreation towards the Pittsburgh Pirates. A right-hander from Empire, Alabama who’d beforehand performed for the Birmingham Black Barons and Memphis Crimson Sox, Bankhead pitched poorly that day, though he did take Fritz Ostermueller deep in his first ever at-bat. All instructed, Bankhead went 26-10 with a 4.56 ERA over elements of three MLB seasons.