B/T: R/R Age: 6/21/2002 (22)
Ht: 6’3” Wt: 190 lb.
Acquired: 2023 MLB Draft, 3rd round (101 overall)
ETA: 2026 (FanGraphs)
2024 Stats (St. Lucie & Brooklyn) – 3.83 ERA 54.0 IP, 52 H, 18 BB, 54 K

The 2023 draft for the Mets looks to be a solid one, making good choices all across the board. One of those good choices is right-hander, Kade Morris, in the third round. Morris, 22, was the Mets 3rd round draft choice out of Nevada, where he posted a 5.42 ERA in 2023 with the Nevada Wolfpack in his first season as a full-time starter. 

Morris features a 5 pitch mix (FB, SL, SI, CB, CH.). Deep arsenals are always a great trait to have as a pitcher because it will always keep the batter guessing if you can confidently throw all 5, which he can. The fastball won’t wow you on the radar gun as he only averages 93 MPH, however, with 17” IVB it remains a solid offering. His secondaries are led by a sweeping slider and a nasty sinker. The slider grades out with a terrific 115 stuff+. His sinker doesn’t have the best stuff grade but is an effective pitch. Curveball and Changeup are used sparingly, but both are effective especially the Curveball also had a real solid 122 stuff+.

From a statistical standpoint, Morris put up a 3.63 ERA and 4.75 FIP in 34.2 innings in Low-A, which earned him a promotion to High-A Brooklyn where he has put up 4.07 ERA over 7 starts (42 IP). In the Florida State League, he posted a 23.8 whiff rate along with a decent stuff+ of 97, which is just below average. His stuff doesn’t generate big whiff numbers, however, he generates soft contact at a decent rate with a 33.3 hard-hit rate.

Morris is still only 22 and still has tons of time to come into his own at the professional level. With the Mets pitching lab, he should have all the tools to develop into a solid backend starter at the Major League level.