The Pirates Prospects 2011 Prospect Guide was released last week, featuring 237 prospect reports, interviews with Jameson Taillon, Stetson Allie, Zack Von Rosenberg, and Zack Dodson, the 2011 top 50 prospects, and the most comprehensive coverage of the Pirates’ farm system that you can find. While the top 50 prospects are exclusive to the book, the top ten prospects will be released on the site.
Be sure to purchase your copy of the book by clicking “Buy Now” at the bottom of this page (or to the right).
To recap the countdown so far:
10. Colton Cain
9. Zack Von Rosenberg
8. Jeff Locke
7. Rudy Owens
We continue the countdown with the number six prospect, Bryan Morris.
6. Bryan Morris, RHP
A first round pick for the Dodgers in 2006, Morris has had a roller coaster of a career so far. He signed early, but was shut down in his first season in the pros, undergoing Tommy John surgery. The surgery caused Bryan to miss the entire 2007 season.
Morris returned in 2008, and looked to be back to normal with the Dodgers. He was acquired by the Pirates as a key piece in the Jason Bay trade, but immediately struggled. Morris missed the start of the 2009 season with a torn ligament in his toe, then spent the second half of the year working on an overhaul of his mechanics.
The results for Bryan in the second half of the 2009 season weren’t encouraging, although he came around towards the end of the year with strong results. The work to change his mechanics seems to have paid off, as he had a big bounce back year in 2010, elevating himself back to being a top pitching prospect.
Morris throws a 91-93 MPH fastball, touching 95. His best pitch is a hard, big breaking curveball. He still struggles repeating his new mechanics, which was an issue in the second half of 2010, and will be a challenge going forward. The new mechanics relieve the stress on his shoulder, which should keep him healthy going forward. Some scouts see Morris as a future reliever, but he’ll get a shot with the Pirates as a starter, and his stuff is good enough that he can make it in the majors, potentially being a middle of the rotation starter.
