Elijah Allan Morgan (born May 13, 1996) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

for the

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(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the

Cleveland Guardians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. Since , the team has played its home gam ...

. Morgan played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

Gonzaga Bulldogs The Gonzaga Bulldogs (), also known unofficially as the Zags, are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Gonzaga competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...

. He was selected by Cleveland in the eighth round of the

2017 MLB draft The 2017 Major League Baseball draft began on June 12, 2017. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first 36 picks, including the first round and compensatory picks, were broadcast on MLB Network on June 12, while the remai ...

, and made his MLB debut in 2021.

Early and personal life

Morgan was born in

Rancho Palos Verdes, California Rancho Palos Verdes is a coastal city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated on September 7, 1973, the city has a population of 42,287 as reported in the 2020 United States census. The city sits atop the bluffs of ...

, to Diana and Dave Morgan, a former deputy sports editor for the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

''. He has a sister, named Briana. He resides in

Redondo Beach, California Redondo Beach (Spanish for ) is a coastal city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located in the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area. It is one of three adjacent Beach Cities, beach c ...

. Morgan is of

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

parentage, his father being Jewish, but does not identify as Jewish himself.

High school

Morgan attended Peninsula High School in

Rolling Hills Estates, California Rolling Hills Estates is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. On the northern side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, facing Torrance, Rolling Hills Estates is mostly residential. Incorporated in 1957, Rolling Hills Estates has ...

. In 2014, as a senior, he had a 10–2

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with a 1.23

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA). He was named

Bay League The Bay League is a high school athletic conference in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California affiliated with the CIF Southern Section. Member schools *Culver City High School *Mira Costa High School *Palos Verdes High School * Pen ...

Co-Pitcher of the Year and All-

California Interscholastic Federation The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have s ...

First Team. He was not drafted out of high school in the

2014 Major League Baseball draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

. In the summer of 2014, he was 8–0 and an All Star for the

Yakima Valley Pippins The Yakima Valley Pippins are a collegiate wood bat baseball team based in Yakima, Washington. They are member of the West Coast League and began play in 2014 at the 2,800 seat Yakima County Stadium. They replaced the Yakima Bears of the Nor ...

in the collegiate

West Coast League The West Coast League (WCL) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Alberta. The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCB ...

College

Morgan enrolled at

Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) ( ) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington, United States. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges ...

, where he played

for the

after being offered a spot on the team as a

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. In 2015, as a freshman, Morgan pitched to a 1–0 record with a 2.36 ERA (10th in the

West Coast Conference The West Coast Conference (WCC) — known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956 and then as the West Coast Athletic Conference until 1989 — is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I consisting o ...

; WCC) in 14 appearances (three starts), had a 1.118

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(9th), gave up 1.6 walks/9 innings pitched (4th), and had 4.5 strikeouts/walk (4th). Pitching for the

Mat-Su Miners The Mat-Su Miners are a Collegiate summer baseball, college summer baseball club in the Alaska Baseball League (ABL). The Miners are based in Palmer, Alaska, and their name refers to the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, Matanuska-Susitna Boroug ...

in the collegiate

Alaska Baseball League The Alaska Baseball League (ABL) is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league based entirely in southern Alaska. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. In the past, ...

in the summer of 2015, he was 5–0 with an 0.73 ERA, and was named to the All-League Team. In 2020, he was named to the Miners' All-Decade Team. As a sophomore in 2016, Morgan transitioned into a full-time starter, going 10–3 (his 10 wins were 2nd in the Conference) with a 3.73 ERA and 107

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s (4th), and leading the Conference with 3

shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...

s in 111

inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other tea ...

s over 16 starts, earning him a spot on the All-WCC First Team. After the season, he played in the collegiate

Cape Cod League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

for the

Orleans Firebirds The Orleans Firebirds, formerly the Orleans Cardinals, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Orleans, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Firebirds play ...

. In 2017, his junior season, Morgan compiled a 10–2 record (his 10 wins were again 2nd in the Conference) with a 2.86 ERA in 14 starts, during which he had 2 shutouts (tied for the Conference lead), struck out a Conference-leading 138 batters (2nd-most in school history, and 3rd in the nation) in innings (12.3 strikeouts/9 innings), had a 1.103 WHIP (10th), had 4.45 strikeouts/walk (8th), and was once again named to the All-WCC First Team. He was one of four pitchers in the country with multiple 15-strikeout games. He was also named Perfect Game/

Rawlings Rawlings may refer to: *Rawlings (company), a U.S. sports equipment company *Rawlings, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland *Rawlings (surname) Rawlings is an English-language surname. Notable people with the name in ...

First Team

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, ''

Collegiate Baseball ''Collegiate Baseball Newspaper'' (also known as ''Collegiate Baseball Magazine'' and ''Collegiate Baseball'') was an American publication based in Arizona that considered itself the "voice of amateur baseball" and was published for over 40 yea ...

'' Second Team All-American, three-time National Player of the Week, and five-time Rawlings WCC Pitcher of the Week.

Professional career

Cleveland Indians / Cleveland Guardians

2017–19

Morgan was selected by the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

in the eighth round of the

2017 Major League Baseball draft The 2017 Major League Baseball draft began on June 12, 2017. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first 36 picks, including the first round and compensatory picks, were broadcast on MLB Network on June 12, while the remai ...

. He signed with the Indians for a $135,000

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. He made his professional debut that season with the

Mahoning Valley Scrappers The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Niles, Ohio, a city in the valley of the Mahoning River, and play their home games at Eastwood Field. From 1999 to 2020, they were ...

of the Low–A

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, pitching to a 3–2 record with a 1.03 ERA (3rd-lowest in the league) in 35 innings in which he struck out 58 batters (14.9 strikeouts per 9 innings) and had a 0.94 WHIP. He was recognized by ''

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'' for having the best

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...

in Cleveland's farm system. Morgan began 2018 with the

Lake County Captains The Lake County Captains are a Minor League Baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, that plays in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. The Captains joined the Class A Midwest League following ...

of the Single–AA

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

, and was promoted to the

Lynchburg Hillcats The Lynchburg Hillcats are a Minor League Baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia that plays in the Carolina League and is the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves from 2011 to 2014, the Cincinn ...

of the High–A

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

in May. In 27 starts between the two clubs, Morgan went 9–7 with a 3.27 ERA, striking out 156 batters in innings (9.8 strikeouts per 9 innings). For the second straight season, he was recognized by ''Baseball America'' for having the best changeup in Cleveland's farm system, and he was also named an MiLB.com Organization All Star and the Indians' 2018 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. In 2019, Morgan began the year with Lynchburg before being promoted to the

Akron RubberDucks The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park (Akron, Ohio) ...

of the Double–A Eastern League in May, with whom Morgan was named a mid-season All-Star. In July, he made one spot start with the

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, merch ...

of the Triple–A

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before being reassigned to Akron, with whom he finished the year. Over 26 games (25 starts) between the three clubs, Morgan went 9–6 with a 3.39 ERA, striking out 146 over innings (9.3 strikeouts per 9 innings). He led the Indians' minor leaguers in innings, was second in strikeouts, and was named an MiLB.com and MLB.com Organization All Star.

2020–21

Morgan did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, and instead spent the season at the team's Lake County Alternate Training Site. He was once again recognized by ''Baseball America'' as having the best changeup and control among Indians minor league pitchers. Through 2020, he averaged 10.2 strikeouts and 2.3 walks per 9 innings in the minor leagues. The Indians added him to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

on November 20, 2020. To begin the 2021 season, Morgan returned to Columbus, now members of the newly-formed

Triple-A East The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball (M ...

, with whom he pitched in five games. ''Baseball America'' ranked him as having the best

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in Cleveland's system.

Major leagues

The Indians promoted Morgan to the major leagues on May 28, 2021, and he made his major league debut that same day, starting against the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

. With winds gusting up to 45 mph in a game called early due to weather, over innings he gave up six earned runs, eight hits (including three doubles), and two walks, and struck out one, and was tagged with the loss as the Indians fell 11–2. Indians manager

Terry Francona Terrence Jon Francona (born April 22, 1959), nicknamed "Tito", is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously managed the Cleveland Indians/G ...

said: "I don't know how you evaluate that outing. I thought he was going to get blown off the mound.... That was some of the worst conditions I think I've ever seen." Morgan had a lower ERA each successive month of the season, culminating with his five starts in the last month of the season in which he was 3–1 with a 3.90 ERA and held batters to a .240

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

. For the 2021 Indians, Morgan started 18 games in which he went 5–7 with a 5.34 ERA and 81 strikeouts over innings. Pitching for Cleveland in 2022, Morgan was 5-3 with 10 holds and a 3.38 ERA, as in 50 games (one start) he pitched innings. He gave up 46 hits (holding hitters to a .192 batting average) and 13 walks for an 0.885 WHIP, struck out 72 batters, and had a

strikeout-to-walk ratio In baseball statistics, strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB) is a measure of a pitcher's ability to control pitches, calculated as strikeouts divided by bases on balls. A hit by pitch is not counted statistically as a walk, and therefore not counted in ...

of 6.09 (fourth in the league). Among American League relievers who pitched 60 or more innings, he had the highest first-strike percentage (70.9%), gave up the second-fewest walks per 9 innings (1.55), had the third-highest strikeout-to-walk ratio, and had the fourth-lowest WHIP. In the post-season, Morgan pitched in the

2022 American League Wild Card Series The 2022 American League Wild Card Series were two best-of-three playoff series in Major League Baseball (MLB) that determined the participating teams of the 2022 American League Division Series (ALDS). Both Wild Card Series began on October 7, w ...

, where in innings he struck out two batters and did not allow any baserunners. In 2023, Morgan was 5-2 with one save, seven holds, and a 4.01 ERA, as in a career-high 61 games he pitched innings. He struck out 75 batters, and struck out 10.0 batters per 9 innings. He had a salary of $727,000. In 2024, he was 3–0 with a 1.93 ERA and 34 strikeouts, in 32 games covering 42 innings, with a WHIP of 0.976.

Chicago Cubs

On November 20, 2024, the Guardians traded Morgan to the

in exchange for minor league prospect Alfonsin Rosario.

Pitching style

Morgan has a low-90s

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch (baseball), pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the fastest ball thrown by a pitcher. It is s ...

that touches and averages of horizontal movement (which is 48% better than average), an above-average "Bugs Bunny" four-seam

, and a slider (one soft version of it in the range, and another version of it in the range). His changeup had an average velocity of , the slowest among major league pitchers who worked at least 40 innings in 2021. In 2022 he threw his fastball half the time and batters hit .205 against it, his changeup a quarter of the time (.184), and his slider 16% of the time (.182). He is known for his command.

References

External links

Gonzaga Bulldogs bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Eli 1996 births Living people American people of Jewish descent Akron RubberDucks players Arizona Complex League Cubs players Chicago Cubs players Cleveland Guardians players Cleveland Indians players Columbus Clippers players Gonzaga Bulldogs baseball players Iowa Cubs players Lake County Captains players Lynchburg Hillcats players Mahoning Valley Scrappers players Major League Baseball pitchers Orleans Firebirds players People from Rancho Palos Verdes, California Sportspeople from Redondo Beach, California Baseball players from Los Angeles County, California Mat-Su Miners players