Padres' secret weapon reliever is building upon 2025 formula that made him reliable

Last season, David Morgan was a forgotten name among a deep pool of talented Padres relievers. Granted, 2025 was his rookie year, and he was signed by the Padres as a free agent. Morgan wasn't a high-end draft prospect, nor someone with star potential.

However, he still found a way to pitch in 41 games, finishing his inaugural season with impressive numbers, which included a solid scoreless streak and a 161 ERA+. That kind of unexpected effort garnered the respect of his teammates, as well as decision-makers within the organization.

So, it's really no surprise that Morgan has appeared in three of the Padres' first four games of the 2026 season. With Robert Suarez gone and Jason Adam on the injured list, it was a natural promotion for Morgan to pitch more often. And he is running with it. In four innings, he has registered three strikeouts, and most importantly, has yet to allow a run.

His key to success? He is using the same kind of sequence from 2025 when he sported a 2.66 ERA. Why fix anything if it isn't broke, right?

Padres reliever David Morgan keeps pitching arsenal the same as he enters next phase of career

Morgan's four-seam fastball is his bread and butter. He throws it as hard as anyone, but that's not his only tool to success. His curveball and sinker are just as effective, making that three-pitch combo difficult for the opposition to pick up. Here is his usage breakdown.

2026

Fastball: 35.3%

Curveball: 33.3%

Sinker: 27.5%

2025

Fastball: 36.7%

Curveball: 23.4%

Sinker: 21.5%

As you can see, Morgan is basically throwing his fastball as often as he was last year. We are seeing an upitck in his curveball and sinker usage, though it is a small sample size. The biggest difference is that he is basically wiping away his slider, which has seen nearly a 15% drop in usage this season.

There is precendence that this recipe works for Morgan, so it only called for minor tinkering. We're happy that he is prepared to step into a larger role in his sophomore campaign. He's shown no sign of being ill-prepared for it.