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).
Adrian Morejon
When the Padres
signed Adrian Morejon out of Cuba in 2016, it was a big deal. At the time, the left-hander was ranked second overall among international prospects. The 17-year-old came over and began to pitch quite well as a starting pitcher, posting a sub-4.00 ERA in his first two minor-league seasons. Morejon made his debut in 2019 and struggled to find his footing. His stuff never quite played out as a starter, so San Diego transitioned him into the bullpen. Injuries held him back, with Morejon throwing just 47 2/3 big-league innings from 2021-23.
Overall Grade: A-
Then, everything changed. In 2024, Morejon became one of the most dominant relief pitchers in baseball. He took it to another level in 2025 and was nearly as good in ‘26. Morejon twirled a career-high 86 innings, posting a 2.83 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and .205 opponent batting average. He accumulated 107 strikeouts and 1.9 bWAR in that time. His only problem were blips in April (6.43 ERA) and September (4.50 ERA).
His underlying metrics are even better. Morejon’s expected stats (xERA and xBA) are both roughly 50 points lower than his actual marks. His sinker was one of the best in baseball (+11 Pitching Run Value), ranking him fifth among all relievers in PRV. Among all pitchers (starters and relievers) who threw more than 500 sinkers, Morejon ranks sixth overall in PRV.
Morejon was issued a $23.15 million qualifying offer last week. He has until Nov. 17 to decide whether he will remain with the Padres another season or decline and test free agency. Morejon is high on San Diego’s wish list out of their departing free agents. Many of the Friar Faithful hope that he’ll remain a Padre for his whole career. Only time will tell if ownership is willing to spend what is required to retain the lefty’s services.
