Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
David Morgan
Morgan went undrafted
in 2022 but was invited to a workout with other prospects at Petco Park. The California native impressed the scouts and signed with the club ahead of the 2022 season. When Morgan made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2025, he was electric. In 47 1/3 innings of work, the right-hander quickly became a high-leverage option for San Diego down the stretch, authoring a 2.66 ERA in that time.
Overall Grade: C
Last season was a step back from that dominant rookie campaign. Morgan posted a 3.78 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and .282 opponent batting average across 33 1/3 innings. Those aren’t horrible numbers, but they aren’t great either. In 2025, Morgan was one of the best rookie pitchers in baseball. That wasn’t the case in his sophomore season.
That wasn’t entirely his fault. Morgan landed on the injured list with left knee inflammation right before the Trade Deadline. He missed 38 games before undergoing a rehab assignment in Triple-A. After returning, he dominated. Morgan pitched to a 2.92 ERA in his final 15 appearances and a 1.17 ERA in his last seven outings.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad season from the 27-year-old. He pitched relatively well, but simply didn’t cover enough innings to warrant a better grade. He should be a big piece of the 2027 bullpen picture, with Morgan being a higher-leverage middle-innings reliever for manager Craig Stammen to turn to.
