Spring Training is always labeled “don’t take it too seriously.”
But for some players, no shooting session is harmless.
Luis Morales took two innings, shooting 23 balls, 17 strikes, and only allowing one earned run. Looking at the box score, you see a clean performance. No collapse. No loss of control. Even saving pitch.
So what started the whispers?
Velocity.
Average fastball of 96.2 mph – down more than 1 mph from the previous year. Slider down from 85.8 mph to 81.9. Sweeper and changeup also dropped 2–3 mph. The numbers aren’t dramatic, but in the modern MLB environment, every “tick” counts.
And this season, Morales didn’t have much room to waste.
When “being okay” isn’t enough
Oakland Athletics entered the year with the last two rotation slots still open. No one’s position is fixed. No one is guaranteed.
Morales was expected to be in the Opening Day lineup. But there’s always a gap between expectation and reality – and that gap is often measured in mph.
At this level, 96 mph might still be good enough. But if it was 97–98, that difference will be scrutinized. Especially when other names in training camp are looking to impress.
Spring Training is a ramp-up process. Pitchers don’t enter February in peak form. That’s a logical explanation.
But in the same game, Luis Severino increased his pace – because he’s preparing for the upcoming international tournament. That makes sense. But comparisons still exist.
And in a fierce competition, comparisons are rarely fair.
A quiet transformation
The interesting thing isn’t just the speed, but also how Morales uses the ball.
Slider usage increased significantly – from 8% last season to 22% this game. Meanwhile, sweeper usage decreased considerably. The velocity gap between these two pitches narrowed, making them almost “blend” together.
This could be a strategy.
When two pitches have similar speeds, hitters find it harder to distinguish them early on. The difference in movement appears later, creating a timing advantage. If executed correctly, this could be a step forward in pitching thinking.
But there’s another side to it.
When you slow down to bring the two weapons closer together, you’re trading power for deception. And if the deception isn’t subtle enough, you’re left with… a lighter version of yourself.
No need to panic – but don’t ignore it either.
The positive aspect is that Morales still controlled the strike zone well. 17 out of 23 pitches were strikes. No innings were “broken.” No signs of unusual mechanics.
But for a young pitcher, not yet a guaranteed spot in the rotation, each outing is a message.
This time the message is: the foundation is still there.
The question is: where’s the ceiling?
If in the next two outings, velocity returns to 97–98 mph, all concerns will vanish as if they never existed. If it continues to hover around 95–96, the narrative will change tone.
And when the narrative changes, so does the competition.
Currently, the organization says “no need to worry.”
That may be true.
But in a season where nothing is guaranteed, sometimes the smallest changes are what determine who takes the field on Opening Day… and who is merely a backup option.
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