Minnesota Twins Prospect Retrospective: Andrew Morris

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints

Andrew Morris has never taken the conventional road, and that is part of what makes his climb through the Minnesota Twins system so compelling. Now, that journey is intersecting with opportunity, as the Twins have turned to Morris to help fill the void left by the injured Cody Laweryson.

A fourth-round pick in the 2022 Draft, Morris has steadily worked his way from relative obscurity into a legitimate big league option, even if the journey has come with a few bumps along the way.

Morris started his college career at Division II Colorado Mesa, spending three years in the starting rotation before transferring to Texas Tech. Once there, he took on a prominent role as the Red Raiders' Friday night starter, putting himself firmly on the draft radar. In 88 1/3 innings, he posted a 4.58 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP and 9.3 K/0.

The Twins saw enough to make him a fourth-round selection, and Morris quickly began validating that decision. His early professional seasons showed steady growth, but it was his 2024 campaign that truly put him on the map.

Breakout in 2024
After showing moderate success in his first full professional season, Morris broke through in a big way during 2024. He opened the year at High-A and climbed all the way to Triple-A by the end of the season.

Across three levels, he posted a 2.37 ERA and finished with an effective seven-start stint at Triple-A (3.48 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP) . Overall, he posted a 24.5 K% with a 5.9 BB% while holding batters to a .219 BA. That performance positioned him as one of the more intriguing pitching depth options in the organization and put him on the doorstep of a big league debut.

 

 

A Setback and Response in 2025
The momentum from 2024 did not carry over cleanly into 2025. Morris opened the season with St. Paul and initially looked solid, but things began to unravel in late May as he started getting hit harder. In June, he landed on the injured list with a forearm strain, an injury that always raises concern for pitchers. He missed roughly six weeks, halting what had already become a challenging season.

To his credit, Morris returned in mid-August and finished strong. Down the stretch, he posted a 3.45 ERA with a 29-to-4 strikeout to walk ratio in 31 1/3 innings. It was a reminder of his ability to adapt and compete, even in the face of adversity.

A Deep Pitch Mix
Morris does not rely on overpowering hitters, even though he has the velocity to suggest he could. His four-seam fastball sat in the 95 to 96 mph range last year and touched 99 mph, featuring decent vertical break. It generated a high chase rate of 40 percent, though it was also hit harder than expected.

What sets Morris apart is the depth of his arsenal. He incorporates a two-seamer more frequently against right-handed hitters and added a 90 mph cutter to give hitters a different look. A late addition of a sweeper has helped increase his swing-and-miss ability, while he continues to mix in a mid-70s curveball and an upper-80s changeup.

With an essentially kitchen-sink approach, Morris leans on sequencing and pitchability. He throws strikes consistently, though at times it's more control than true command, which leads to contact.

 

Projection and Role
At 6 foot, Morris does not offer much remaining projection physically, but his polish gives him a realistic path forward. He pounds the strike zone with a six-pitch mix, limits home runs, and generates weak contact more than empty swings.

That profile points toward an innings eater with some mid-rotation upside, though many evaluators see a back-end starter as the most likely outcome. There is also a case to be made for a multi-inning relief role, especially given how effectively he can mix pitches in shorter bursts.

Even with the step backward last season, his strong finish reinforced that he remains a legitimate pitching prospect. He’s ready to contribute to the Twins in 2026, whether that comes as rotation depth or in a flexible pitching role. For an organization that continues to rely on internal arms, Morris represents a steady and versatile option who has earned the opportunity to prove himself at the highest level.

What stands out about Morris? Can he be successful in a relief role? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

View full article

[nicksaviking]

Morris might have been one of the last of these kinds of starters I moved to relief, but I've been in favor of this all winter. I think this move would have worked out better if they'd done it during spring camp where he could focus and learn the nuances of his new role instead of stretching him out, but I do like this bad-news/good-news dynamic. Sorry, we're moving you to the pen, BUT you're finally getting promoted to the show. Hopefully it works out as well as it did for Jhoan Duran and Taylor Rogers.

I hope at minimum they get two more of these guys in the pen from St. Paul by midseason. 

[Nshore]

I wish Morris well.  Bullpens are more important than ever and get the call every single game with starters often only going 4 or 5 innings. 

The precarious state of the Twins' pen makes the Varland trade look even worse IMO.  The fan popular Varland would look pretty good as the rock solid closer right now - especially since Pohlad said they want to be a contender this year.  He might even help fill some empty seats at Target Field.   They took a look at Roden and stashed him back at AAA in favor of no hit Outman.  And Rojas is merely a suspect until proven otherwise.  

[GopherMike]

Kendry Rojas was the key part of the Varland trade--not Roden.

I didn't care for the trade--but that's an important distinction. 

[Gamblerssoftball]

Timely written article. He looked good in his debut today. It was fun to see his family cheer him on. He ate some innings in today's game, which was very good 👍 

[tony&rodney]

I'm not sure a pitcher throwing 99 (98.6) needs much more projection, especially if said guy has been seen as a control artist. He does need more refinement on his breaking stuff and I wish he could master a good change.

Last season, Morris was tipping his pitches with his glove placement and he struggled to fix the issue (via Saint announcer). This season Morris opened the year working on breaking pitches, so he is definitely not a finished product. Hard to know where he could potentially slot, dependent on his ability to miss more bats, reduce pitch counts, and maintain health while throwing as hard as he does.

[mark sills]

5 hours ago, Gamblerssoftball said:

Timely written article. He looked good in his debut today. It was fun to see his family cheer him on. He ate some innings in today's game, which was very good 👍 

It was a great game to be at. Toronto has such good fans, even when we were way ahead they were all still there cheering for there team. They also were kind and happy for Andrew it was a great debut.

[Thumbs Down Guy]

18 hours ago, mark sills said:

It was a great game to be at. Toronto has such good fans, even when we were way ahead they were all still there cheering for there team. They also were kind and happy for Andrew it was a great debut.

Canadians!!!🍁🍁🍁🍁

[tony&rodney]

On 4/12/2026 at 9:35 PM, mark sills said:

It was a great game to be at. Toronto has such good fans, even when we were way ahead they were all still there cheering for there team. They also were kind and happy for Andrew it was a great debut.

Civility and perspective perhaps. 

Sports are entertainment. The Wild and Timberwolves have drawn well despite neither winning any championships due to an exciting product (at least from the view of their fans). The Twins are more fun to watch right now than they have been for several years. One would hope that there are enough fans of baseball in Minnesota that attendance numbers begins to show something approaching respectful levels. It seems reasonable that fans stayed at home when the team was playing in 30-40 degree F temperatures with a drizzle and wind making it late November (or March/early April) comfort. 74 F and sunny, there should be a good crowd on Wednesday afternoon. I sure hope so.

Toronto is a fabulous city though and despite not really liking the stadium, I totally enjoyed going to games in Toronto.

To the post, I could easily see Andrew Morris sliding into the rotation should the need arise. For now he provided a solid choice in long relief. Morris is still refining his pitches, the arrow is up on him.

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

On 4/14/2026 at 3:41 AM, Thumbs Down Guy said:

Canadians!!!🍁🍁🍁🍁

I love my Minnesota teams, but Canadians are pretty nice folks too!

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

23 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Civility and perspective perhaps. 

Sports are entertainment. The Wild and Timberwolves have drawn well despite neither winning any championships due to an exciting product (at least from the view of their fans). The Twins are more fun to watch right now than they have been for several years. One would hope that there are enough fans of baseball in Minnesota that attendance numbers begins to show something approaching respectful levels. It seems reasonable that fans stayed at home when the team was playing in 30-40 degree F temperatures with a drizzle and wind making it late November (or March/early April) comfort. 74 F and sunny, there should be a good crowd on Wednesday afternoon. I sure hope so.

Toronto is a fabulous city though and despite not really liking the stadium, I totally enjoyed going to games in Toronto.

To the post, I could easily see Andrew Morris sliding into the rotation should the need arise. For now he provided a solid choice in long relief. Morris is still refining his pitches, the arrow is up on him.

I'm optimistic about Morris too. I still think he could be a viable starter, but having him in the bullpen (if they don't send him down again next week) should be good experience for him.