WEST SACRAMENTO -- To expect that Luis Morales was going to reach the big leagues this season was viewed as unrealistic.
Signed by the Athletics out of Cuba during the 2023 international signing period, Morales entered 2025 having never pitched above High-A Lansing. Even with his premium stuff, there was a seemingly long road of development time ahead of him.
On Saturday night, Morales took the mound at Sutter Health for his 10th and final outing of his rookie campaign. While the result was not what Morales wanted to head into the offseason with -- he allowed three runs (two earned) in 4 2/3 innings in a 4-2 loss to the Royals -- the A’s are nonetheless thrilled by the frontline potential displayed by the 23-year-old right-hander during his first taste of big league action.
“There’s a lot of excitement that surrounds Luis,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “To come to the big leagues and have some success and really show what he’s capable of doing in a really short time and make progress, he made a lot of progress from what he did in the Minor Leagues to what he was able to do in the big leagues. Those are all positive signs.”
It was beyond a fast track to The Show for Morales. He began this season at Double-A Midland and earned a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas on May 20. Between the two levels, Morales posted a 3.73 ERA in 23 games (14 starts), with 107 strikeouts and 35 walks over 89 1/3 innings, earning his first call to the Majors on Aug. 1.
Across 10 games (nine starts) for the A’s, Morales posted a 3.14 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 18 walks across 48 2/3 innings while holding opposing batters to a .212 average.
“We got innings built up for him in the big leagues,” Kotsay said. “Next year, he’ll know what to expect. It won’t be something new for him, which is a great way to start a new season.”
Morales probably deserved a better final line on Saturday. He generated mostly weak contact, with an average exit velocity of 85.8 mph on the Royals’ 14 balls in play against him. The most costly hit of the night was a two-run bloop double by Vinnie Pasquantino, which was struck at just 69.7 mph.
Like most of his outings, Morales showed off his electric fastball, which maxed out at 99.4 mph, and a nasty sweeper that accounted for six of his 11 total whiffs on Saturday.
“The sky’s the limit for this guy,” A’s pitching coach Scott Emerson said of Morales. “This guy wants to be the best. … The arsenal is elite. His sweeper is elite. … The fastball is up to 100 mph, and I think he’s got a really good changeup. Once the execution of those pitches becomes better, he gets better.”
The A’s will have no shortage of starting pitching options next season. Veterans Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs figure to anchor the rotation, then comes a group of talented young arms, some of whom debuted this season, and others waiting in the wings, such as top prospects Gage Jump (A’s No. 3 and No. 56 overall, per MLB Pipeline) and Braden Nett (A’s No. 4).
However the rotation shakes out, you can expect Morales and his immensely high ceiling to be part of those first five, with a chance to eventually evolve into that No. 1 starter the A’s believe he can be.
“I’m grateful for everything that has happened to me this year,” Morales said in Spanish. “I learned a lot. Thankfully, I also have a great catcher who helps me a lot during the game. … I now believe that I have everything it takes to compete up here. Now, I just have to create my own plan for myself this offseason so that I can be fully ready to go come Spring Training.”