Luis Morales

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Athletics #5 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High.
  
  Track Record: The Athletics signed Morales for $3 million out of Cuba at 20 years old in January 2023, two years after he defected while playing in Mexico for the Cuban national team at the U-23 World Cup. Morales quickly knocked off the rust and rocketed his way to High-A by the end of his pro debut season. The hard-throwing righthander didn’t quite replicate that momentum in 2024. A shoulder injury delayed the start of his season and he was managed carefully with High-A Lansing, posting a 4.22 ERA with 84 strikeouts and 36 walks in 81 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Morales has an exquisite combination of raw ingredients. The long-limbed righty averaged nearly 97 mph on his four-seam fastball in 2024, the highest velocity of any A’s minor league starter. He generates considerable arm speed from a twitchy, elastic delivery. The A’s prioritized slider development in 2024, and Morales mostly shelved his curveball. His mid-80s slider tunnels off his fastball and flashes plus shape with more than a foot of sweep. Morales also throws an 84-88 mph changeup that has great shape when he commits to it. He’s electric when it all comes together, but he has been a bit more hittable with less swing-and-miss than his raw stuff might suggest. Morales is prone to stretches of erraticism, and the A’s worked with him to smooth out the sequencing of his delivery. There are times when his stuff and command play better when he uses his slide step out of the stretch. His feel for the game lags behind a typical 22-year-old pitcher, as well.
  
  The Future: Morales may have the best pure stuff of any A’s starting pitching prospect since Jesus Luzardo. To remain on a midrotation trajectory, though, he’ll need to show crisper attention to detail in 2025. He’s ready for Double-A Midland.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50.
• 
  Ranked Athletics #4 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 60/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Morales struck out 135 batters over 82.2 innings in Cuba’s 18U national league in 2020. He defected in 2021 and trained on his own outside of Mexico City until the Athletics signed him for $3 million in January 2023. That marked the largest deal for an international pitcher in the hard-capped era and Oakland’s biggest bonus to an international arm since signing Michael Ynoa in 2008. The A’s initially planned to move Morales slowly, but he forced their hand with a strong Dominican Summer League. He ultimately posted a 2.86 ERA in 44 innings across four different levels and ended the year with High-A Lansing at 20 years old.
  
  Scouting Report: Morales is a highly projectable righthander who already sits 97 mph with a sinewy, high-waisted frame and loose, athletic delivery. He has one of the better fastballs in Oakland’s system and showed average command for the pitch considering age and level. He also showed the feel to spin two separate breaking balls at nearly 3,000 rpm. His sweeping slider has plus potential as a swing-and-miss offering, and he also throws a curveball with more depth. The pitches sometimes blend together, and he struggled at times to land them in the zone. The A’s want him to prioritize developing his slider. Morales’ changeup is more of a developmental pitch, but it flashed solid-average potential. Some international scouts were concerned Morales’ inconsistent command would ultimately push him to the bullpen. The A’s were optimistic with Morales’ strike-throwing in his pro debut and hope his athleticism will allow for continued improvement.
  
  The Future: While Morales’ profile is risky, it’s easy to dream on his stuff and his relatively low-mileage arm. He has midrotation upside with more refinement of his strike-throwing.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Athletics #29 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Morales was a standout pitcher in Cuba's 18U national league in 2020, posting an ERA 0.87 with 135 strikeouts and 18 walks in 82.2 innings for Sancti Spiritus. His innings and strikeouts both led the league, with 48 strikeouts more than the next pitcher in the league. Morales left Cuba and signed with the Athletics as a 20-year-old for $3 million when the international signing period opened in January 2023.
  
  Scouting Report: Morales stands out for his athleticism and velocity. He has touched 97 mph and still has the physical projection left in his frame as well as the arm speed for another tick or two to still add to his fastball once he gains weight and strength. His slider is his best secondary weapon and has a chance to develop into an out pitch for him. While some international scouts thought Morales had a chance to start, several others did have concern that Morales might ultimately end up in the bullpen and thought he would need to develop a better third pitch.
  
  The Future: Recent big money international signings for the A's have struggled, but Morales will look to turn around that track record.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 40. Control: 45.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Morales was a standout pitcher in Cuba's 18U national league in 2020, posting an ERA 0.87 with 135 strikeouts and 18 walks in 82.2 innings for Sancti Spiritus. His innings and strikeouts both led the league, with 48 strikeouts more than the next pitcher in the league. Morales left Cuba and signed with the Athletics as a 20-year-old for $3 million when the international signing period opened in January 2023.
  
  Scouting Report: Morales stands out for his athleticism and velocity. He has touched 97 mph and still has the physical projection left in his frame as well as the arm speed for another tick or two to still add to his fastball once he gains weight and strength. His slider is his best secondary weapon and has a chance to develop into an out pitch for him. While some international scouts thought Morales had a chance to start, several others did have concern that Morales might ultimately end up in the bullpen and thought he would need to develop a better third pitch.
  
  The Future: Recent big money international signings for the A's have struggled, but Morales will look to turn around that track record.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 40. Control: 45.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Morales was a standout pitcher in Cuba's 18U national league in 2020, posting an ERA 0.87 with 135 strikeouts and 18 walks in 82.2 innings for Sancti Spiritus. His innings and strikeouts both led the league, with 48 strikeouts more than the next pitcher in the league. Morales left Cuba and signed with the Athletics as a 20-year-old for $3 million when the international signing period opened in January 2023.
  
  Scouting Report: Morales stands out for his athleticism and velocity. He has touched 97 mph and still has the physical projection left in his frame as well as the arm speed for another tick or two to still add to his fastball once he gains weight and strength. His slider is his best secondary weapon and has a chance to develop into an out pitch for him. While some international scouts thought Morales had a chance to start, several others did have concern that Morales might ultimately end up in the bullpen and thought he would need to develop a better third pitch.
  
  The Future: Recent big money international signings for the A's have struggled, but Morales will look to turn around that track record.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 40. Control: 45.