One Twins Starting Pitching Prospect Deserves to Start Rising on Top Prospect Lists

Andrew Morris began his college career at Colorado Mesa University, a Division II school. During his freshman season, as a 17-year-old, Morris helped his team to the championship game. He put himself on the map with a solid junior season when he posted a 2.19 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and 115-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 78 innings. Texas Tech recruited him to Lubbock for his senior season, where he tossed 88 1/3 innings with the Red Raiders with a 4.58 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Big league teams started to notice Morris because Texas Tech had multiple draft prospects in their rotation. 

The Twins selected Morris in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft and signed him for $500,000. After signing, he made one brief appearance with the FCL Twins, but his first extended professional action came during the 2023 campaign. Minnesota assigned him to Fort Myers, where he was over a year younger than the average age of the competition. In 48 2/3 innings, he posted a 2.59 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and 9.4 K/9. He pitched into the fifth inning In seven of his 11 appearances and had two walks or fewer in each start. 

Morris had proven himself at Low-A, so the Twins promoted him to Cedar Rapids at the end of July. His first start for the Kernels went poorly, as he allowed four runs on ten hits in five innings. Over his next five starts (27 innings), he combined for a 2.00 ERA while holding opponents to a .663 OPS. The Kernels were heading to the playoffs, and Morris showed up with a strong pitching performance. He fanned seven while giving up one run on three hits without a walk in five frames. Cedar Rapids went on to win the championship, a first for the club since 1994. 

Minnesota sent Morris back to Cedar Rapids to begin the 2024 season, and he picked up right where he had left off. He allowed two runs or fewer in six of his seven starts while averaging over five innings per appearance. His last four starts proved to the Twins that he was ready to be promoted. In 24 innings, he allowed three earned runs (1.13 ERA) while holding batters to a .209/.242/.242 (.484) slash line. Morris also continued to pound the strike zone with a 71 strike % and only four walks. 

Moving up to Double-A can be one of the most challenging transitions in a farm system, but Morris has made it look easy. In seven games, he has a 1.41 ERA with a 4.0 BB% while touching 97 mph with his fastball. His fastball has good movement so that the pitch can be deceptive to batters. His slider hits in the upper 80s and can be used to miss bats from lefties and righties. He rounds out his pitch mix with a slow curveball and a changeup that both coax ground balls from the opposition.  

It’s easy to see from Morris’ delivery why he is effective on the mound. He tilts his shoulder and has an over-the-top delivery that causes some deception for batters. Morris has been known as a strike-thrower since his amateur days, and that trend has continued throughout his professional career. Some evaluators pointed to his strikeout rate as something to improve this season, and he’s met those expectations. Last season, he posted a 17.8 K% with Cedar Rapids, raising that by 10% this year. He’s continued those improvements at Double-A with a 24.0 K%. 

Morris is another developmental story to watch, especially as he gets closer to the big leagues. He’s made improvements since signing with the organization, including upticks with his velocity, an increase in his strikeout rate, and an improvement in his overall command. Other pitchers currently rank higher than him on the team’s prospect rankings, but a solid finish to the season will put him in the top 10. 

Is Morris one of the Twins’ top-20 prospects? Is he someone the club would be willing to trade before the trade deadline? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

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