Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45

As Draft classes go, there's a good amount of high-end high school talent in Pennsylvania this year. While there could conceivably be competition over which outfielder has the higher ceiling, Benny Montgomery or Lonnie White Jr., there's no question that Morales is the top arm. While there are other prep arms in this class with better pure stuff, Morales had his feel for pitching on full display over the summer, particularly at the East Coast Pro Showcase.

Morales pitched in back of New Jersey flame-thrower Chase Petty at East Coast Pro and carved up hitters with a solid three-pitch mix and an idea of what to do with it. His fastball was up to 93-94 mph at that event, though he was a tick lower at other times in the summer, but he commands the pitch very well and it has good life to it. He complements it with a curveball, which is a plus breaking ball at its best and a solid-average changeup with run and sink that he locates well down and away to left-handed hitters.

The right-hander, committed to Vanderbilt, has a strong, athletic and durable body with a delivery that works, allowing him to throw all three of his pitches for strikes consistently. Scouts who have seen him a lot haven't seen a jump in stuff or consistency in throwing better-than-average secondary offerings. But most agree he has the chance to make a big jump if the pitcher who was at East Coast Pro shows up on a regular basis.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

Morales appeared to grasp the need to create and maintain a pro routine rather than attempting to get away with his stuff being good. It led to a much-improved season in 2023, all spent at Low-A Modesto, with his ERA down from 5.91 to 4.53, his 14 homers surrendered cut in half and an uptick in strikeout rate to 24.4 percent. It put the high school selection from 2021 back on the trajectory expected of being a Day 2 pick with an over-slot bonus.

Though his raw stuff might not be as overpowering as the Mariners initially envisioned, the former Vanderbilt commit still has the projections to be a strike-throwing innings-eater. His fastball sits in the low-90s and is on the ordinary side, his changeup has solid command but is maybe underutilized and the curveball has shown flashes of being plus. The pitch that came on the most in 2023 was the slider, which wasn't necessarily powerful but had decent shape to it. He also seems to be a prime candidate to become the latest in the organization to toy with a two-seamer.

The ceiling may have come down more than when the club selected him in the third round and signed him for more than double slot value at $1.5 million, yet the consistency he displayed may have raised his floor with a chance of becoming a solid back-end starter.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Morales was an early Day 2 selection in the 2021 Draft and already showed a massively advanced analytical acumen. But the challenges he faced in his first pro season were more rooted in the daily routine and recognizing that he can't get away with just being good like he did on the high school circuit in Pennsylvania. In that context, his development will hinge on putting in the daily conditioning work. 

It's no shock that despite good feel and control, Morales' overall stuff hasn't been overpowering, which isn't a surprise for a former Vanderbilt commit who instead spent last year in the California League. Opposing hitters clipped him at a .292/.363/.474 slash line for a 5.91 ERA in 26 games at Single-A Modesto, and he only had one scoreless outing. 

Morales' fastball has sat in the low-90s with a changeup that's shown decent command and flashes of a good curveball. His delivery has been mostly efficient, yet because Seattle gave Morales more than double slot value in the third round at $1.5 million, the club will be patient with him with the hopes that he continues to grow into his body. 

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Despite being just 19 years old, Morales has an incredibly advanced approach for his age, making him one of the favorites among the Mariners' analytics staff. The club selected him in the third round in 2021 because the Pennsylvania native has a mature physical makeup with an above-average strike-throwing ability for a prep arm, which indicates he has the potential to advance quickly. 

The Mariners loved the makeup, evidenced by them signing Morales to more than double slot value at $1.5 million, which he gladly took over a scholarship offer to Vanderbilt. He pitched just one pro inning in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League before being shut down due to shoulder soreness, but the righty has basically been in Arizona throwing since, having competed at the club's high-performance camp over the winter. 

Morales has topped out at 94 mph since Draft Day, and he commands the heater with good life. He complements the pitch with a plus curveball and a changeup that has consistency and good fade. Overall, the delivery has been described as efficient. 

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45

The state of Pennsylvania provided a good amount of high-end high school talent for the 2021 Draft, with two outfielders, Benny Montgomery and Lonnie White Jr., going in the top 65 picks. Morales, the best prep arm in the Keystone State, and his advanced feel for pitching that was particularly on display last summer, got selected in the third round by the Mariners, but received more than twice slot when he signed for $1.5 million.

Last summer, particularly at the East Coast Professional Showcase, Morales carved up hitters with a solid three-pitch mix and an idea of what to do with it. His fastball was up to 93-94 mph at that event, though he was a tick lower at other times in the summer, but he commands the pitch very well and it has good life to it. He complements it with a curveball, which is a plus breaking ball at its best and a solid-average changeup with run and sink that he locates well down and away to left-handed hitters.

The right-hander has a strong, athletic and durable body with a delivery that works, allowing him to throw all three of his pitches for strikes consistently. While he didn't have the jump in stuff or consistency in throwing better-than-average secondary offerings some were hoping for last spring, most scouts believe he has the chance to take a big step forward as a pro thanks to his combination of pitchability and projection.

Awards

TEX Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
09/15/2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	06/30/2024	RHP Michael Morales assigned to Arkansas Travelers from Everett AquaSox.
	06/30/2024	Arkansas Travelers activated RHP Michael Morales.
	06/30/2024	Arkansas Travelers activated RHP Michael Morales.
	04/03/2024	RHP Michael Morales assigned to Everett AquaSox from Modesto Nuts.
	03/07/2024	Seattle Mariners Prospects activated RHP Michael Morales from the reserve list.
	11/03/2023	RHP Michael Morales assigned to Leones de Ponce.
	04/07/2022	RHP Michael Morales and assigned to Modesto Nuts from ACL Mariners.
	04/07/2022	Modesto Nuts activated RHP Michael Morales.
	04/07/2022	Modesto Nuts activated RHP Michael Morales.
	08/27/2021	RHP Michael Morales assigned to ACL Mariners.
	07/22/2021	Seattle Mariners signed RHP Michael Morales.
	06/16/2020	RHP Michael Morales assigned to PG National 11 - Royal.
	06/16/2020	RHP Michael Morales assigned to PG National 11 - Royal.
	07/23/2019	RHP Michael Morales assigned to 17U National Team Development Program.