David Morgan is unsung hero of dominant Padres bullpen
Aug 2, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher David Morgan (66) reacts after the double play during the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
Other relievers get the publicity and accolades. But David Morgan deserves his flowers for a strong rookie campaign.
Most people around baseball know the names Mason Miller and Robert Suarez. The Padres now have two fire-breathing dragons at the back end of their bullpen with “All-Star” on their resume.
Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon added All-Star to their own ledgers this season. The Padres became the first ever team with three All-Star relievers in one season. The bullpen currently owns a 3.03 ERA collectively, the best in all of baseball.
Yet, there is one reliever who is not getting the same national recognition who deserves his own feature piece.
David Morgan had an unheralded start to his professional baseball career, going undrafted out of Hope International University in 2022. Last year, he worked his way up to Double-A San Antonio. Still, his numbers were unremarkable, with a 5.35 ERA in 38 innings for the Missions to end the season.
Starting the year once again in Double-A in 2025, he posted a 3.12 ERA in seven games. He earned promotion to El Paso soon after. As it happens often in the PCL, Morgan’s overall numbers in El Paso were bloated, with a 12.71 ERA in 5 2/3 innings.
Despite a lackluster 4.77 ERA in over 120 minor league innings in his pro career, Morgan got the call to the Show earlier this season.
After one phantom trip to the big league club before being demoted again, Morgan received the promotion to the big leagues again on May 25.
This time, it appears to be for good.
The Padres have a wealth of resources to help their pitchers be successful. From heralded pitching coach Ruben Niebla, to their biomechanics lab at Point Loma Nazarene, even to the pitcher-friendly confines of Petco Park, the Padres organization is a pitcher’s playground.
Morgan looks to have benefitted from reaching the big leagues. Now, he’s becoming an integral part of the Padres’ super-bullpen.
You don’t often see a reliever with a four-pitch mix. Morgan features a four-seam fastball that touches 98 mph. He complements that with a curveball, slider, and sinker. His curveball has a 36.7 percent whiff rate. Batters are slugging just .190 against his slider, giving him several options to put away hitters.
Of the 253 relievers who have logged at least 20 innings this year, Morgan ranks 14th in ERA (1.63). In a smaller sample size than the other Padres relievers, he has been their most effective bullpen arm.
All this, while he is a rookie.
Not only has he been a reliable reliever, but he’s given the Padres more than three outs in an appearance in 10 of his 25 appearances. He can give them some length and bridge the gap between the starter and the All-Star arms at the back end. Every good team needs a reliever like David Morgan.
The biggest question is- will it continue? Can the Padres continue to rely on a rookie to deliver sub-2.50 ERA pitching out of the bullpen?
It’s unfair to expect him to continue on this trajectory for the entire season. Hardly any reliever holds an ERA under 2.00 for an entire season. However, to this point, he has only allowed a run in six of his 25 games and never more than one run.
No other Padres reliever can say that.
In a season where the Padres have counted on some unproven depth, Morgan has delivered time and time again. With the trade deadline lengthening the bullpen further, Morgan likely won’t be tasked with many high-leverage innings. However, his role is still important as one who needs to come through on days where manager Mike Shildt is trying to give the “Four Horsemen plus One” a needed break. Or when the starter fails to reach five or six innings and a bridge is needed. Consider Morgan the Coronado Bridge, then.
Every team who has World Series aspirations has a “David Morgan” in their bullpen.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.