Location, Location, Location.
Location remains the golden rule of real estate, directly driving a property’s market value.
The same holds for major league pitchers who master their location effectively by controlling the game’s tempo. It forces opposing hitters into uncomfortable at-bats at the plate.
San Diego Padres reliever Adrian Morejon was outstanding in his first appearance of the 2026 season. He pitched two shutout innings, as he threw 23 total pitches with 14 for strikes. The left-hander is the high-leverage
arm that bridges he gap before Mason Miller comes in to close out games.
Since then, Morejon has given up seven runs on nine hits in three innings pitched. Three poor outings should not define a pitcher’s season. But his 10.80 ERA does offer early concerns in the second full week of the 2026 season.
The struggles are unexplainable, but the numbers do not lie.
Command issues have plagued Morejon
It’s very hard to imagine Morejon struggling in games because his velocity is up near 98 MPH this season. Command issues have limited his effectiveness on the mound. If he cannot locate the fastball, then his secondary pitches lose their edge against batters. It has been easy for hitters to put the barrel of their bat on the ball and drive the pitch for extra bases.
His trouble is trying to strike out every batter instead of using the defense behind him to record outs. Morejon has a career 47% ground ball rate; he may need to narrow his approach to generate weak contact.
No question, Morejon is a quality setup reliever with a swing-and-miss repertoire, but his location has been horrible over his last three outings. Often, the pitch count balloons, and the appearance quickly unravels. Damage is done by opposing hitters because the pitches have caught too much of the plate.
If Friars pitching coach Ruben Niebla can get Morejon to trust his pitches, the results will improve. He has too much talent to falter all season.
The Padres are 6-6, but the starting rotation is a work in progress. To win games, the bullpen must be productive and absorb poor starts from the rotation.
Morejon’s struggles must end now.
