Mets 2023 Top 30 Prospect Wraps: Kade Morris

InsideTheMets.com will review each of the New York Mets’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com at the end of the 2023 season.

No. 30: RHP Kade Morris, Florida Complex League Mets (Rookie League), St. Lucie Mets (Class-A)

Statistics for 2023: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, two games (no starts). Threw 3.1 innings, gave up two hits, two runs (one earned), struck out three and walked two. Opponents batted .143 against him and he had a 1.20 WHIP.

With FCL Mets: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, one game (no start). Threw 1.0 innings, gave up one hit, one run (unearned), no strikeouts and no walks. Opponents batted .200 against him and he had a 1.00 WHIP.

With St. Lucie: 0-0, 3.86 ERA, one game (no start). Threw 2.1 innings, gave up one hit, one run (earned), struck out three and walked two. Opponents batted .111 against him and he had a 1.29 WHIP.

Season Transactions: The Mets drafted Morris in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft. The Mets signed him on July 15 and assigned him to the FCL Mets on Aug. 17. He was promoted to St. Lucie on Sept. 8.

Season Summary: The Mets took the cautious approach with the three-year letterman, as many MLB teams do with college pitchers. Morris collected one inning in rookie league ball before the season shut down, and then collected 2.1 more innings with St. Lucie. With Nevada, he made 50 mound appearances, including 19 starts. The Turlock, Calif., won 15 games with three saves, and struck out 153 batters over 173.2 innings of work.

This spring he was their Friday starter, and he struck out a career-high 85 batters over 81.1 innings of work, with two complete games. The Mets clearly felt his arm needed a bit of rest.

Path Through the Organization: The Mets made Morris just the 21st player in Nevada history an MLB Draft pick when they took him in the third round. In fact, the Wolf Pack’s only first-round pick in school history was right-handed pitcher Braden Shipley. It’s not a school known for churning out MLB talent. He built up a pro scouting audience in the Cape Cod League in 2022, even though he spent most of his college career as a reliever. The Mets forked over a $666,500 bonus.

What’s next: The Mets clearly see him as a pitcher they need to bring along slowly. His MLB.com scouting report reads like a project — a pitcher that needs to add weight, refine secondary pitches and develop consistency. The two things he appears to have going for him are a repeatable delivery and a 96-mile-per-hour fastball. He should start the season with Class-A St. Lucie, assuming he develops enough this offseason and impresses the coaching staff in Spring Training.