The San Diego Padres have stumbled out of the gate in the second half, with offensive struggles being the biggest obstacle to overcome. The bullpen has been the strength of the roster all season. However, its depth seemed challenged by the slow start after the All-Star break.
Despite all the accolades, major league teams never have enough pitching. Additions to the ‘pen will be needed to maintain the unit’s dominance. Whether it is tired arms or an injury, the Padres will need new faces to help them
record more wins.
One player that has come out of nowhere to contribute is David Morgan, and he is poised to make an impact coming out of the bullpen.
Morgan has opened some eyes
The right-hander has spent four seasons in the Friars’ farm system. Morgan struck out 143 batters (10.5 K9) and walked 43 of them (3.1 BB9) in his minor league career.
The young hurler has been showcasing his talents since being recalled in late May. He has thrown his four-seam fastball in the upper 90s, but Morgan has dominated opponents with his curveball. Opposing hitters are batting .218 against him since his call up.
He is on the verge of claiming a more prominent role in the bridge to the closer, Robert Suarez. Through 20 appearances and 24.0 innings pitched, Morgan has a 2.25 ERA with 24 strikeouts and two home runs allowed. The only concern has been his control. He has issued nine walks, which equates to a 2.5-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio.
Back end of Padres bullpen needs reinforcements
Padres manager Mike Shildt has affectionately coined the backend of the bullpen (Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam, and Suarez) as “The Four Horsemen.” However, their effectiveness has been tested with excessive use in the first half. Moving Morgan into more high-pressure late-inning situations would make the pen deeper and eliminate the threat of the Four Horsemen limping into August.
It would not be the first time Shildt moved a rookie into a more prominent bullpen role. You may recall Estrada’s introduction to the majors last season. He moved up the ladder quickly to become a key contributor in capturing a postseason berth last October.
Landing an impactful arm at the trade deadline is the goal of every contending team. The Friars would benefit from an internal addition like Morgan, who has proven to keep the base paths empty on most nights.
His value is exceedingly high, and he can carve out a decent major league career by succeeding with added responsibilities.
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