Adrian Morejon keeps showing up for the Padres, and the latest proof came in a tight 5-4 home win after San Diego erased a three-run deficit in the eighth inning.
The comeback will get its share of attention, and rightfully so after the Padres hung four runs on the board in the bottom of the eighth. But Morejon’s inning in the ninth was just as important to the result. He came in with a save chance and needed only seven pitches to wipe out the side, striking out Nationals hitter Yohandy Morales along the way.
It was only the third save of the year for Morejon, with Mason Miller handling the closing role. Still, that small number doesn’t come close to capturing how valuable the left-hander has been to San Diego’s bullpen.
The workload has climbed to a career-high 78 ⅔ innings in 2026, and there’s still time left in the month. Even with that heavier load, the 27-year-old has kept his numbers sharp: a 2.86 ERA, a 2.42 FIP and 11 strikeouts per nine innings.
The roughest stretch came in April. Since May 1, Morejon hasn’t had a monthly ERA above 2.57, and his strongest month was August, when he gave up just one run across 16 ⅔ innings.
September has already included four runs allowed, but the Padres aren’t in a position to ease off. They’re only half a game out of a postseason spot, and manager Craig Stammen is leaning on his best arms to push them across the line. Morejon’s usage has been heavy, even back-to-back at times, and the results explain why San Diego keeps calling his number.
The fastball piece of the puzzle is nasty enough on its own. Morejon’s sinker sits at 99.5 mph and ranks among the best in the game for left-handers.
But the pitch that’s really been wrecking hitters is the changeup. He throws it almost entirely to right-handed batters, and they’ve had little answer for it, hitting just .169 with an even better .122 expected average.
It’s also producing plenty of empty swings, with a 54.4 whiff rate this season.
That mix has helped fuel a bullpen that’s been one of the best in baseball. The Padres rank third in bullpen ERA and lead the sport in bullpen strikeouts, with Morejon’s 92nd-percentile pitching run value playing a major part in that success.
With a few weeks left to claw back into a postseason position, San Diego is going to keep leaning on Morejon and Miller in the late innings. Right now, Morejon is holding up his end of the bargain.
In Other News...
Padres Mason Miller Trade Feels Different After Troubling Prospect News
The Mason Miller deal already looked like one of the biggest swing-for-the-fences moves of the deadline, but the latest news out of Oakland adds a harsh new layer to it. Leo De Vries, the top prospect the Padres sent away in the trade, is headed for surgery to repair a torn anterior labrum in his right shoulder, a setback that could keep him out as long as eight months and cloud his immediate future as a hitter and defender.
For San Diego, the timing only sharpens the contrast. Miller has settled in as the new closer and has looked every bit the impact arm the Padres hoped they were getting, piling up strikeouts while keeping his ERA down. De Vries' injury does not suggest the Padres traded with this in mind, but it does make the return feel even more uncertain from Oakland's side and gives San Diego more reason to believe it landed the more stable end of the swap. [Read more 🡒]
Padres May Face A Jake Cronenworth Decision In New Ownership Era
The Padres are heading toward the 2026-27 free agency period with a different financial backdrop than the one that shaped so many of their recent roster decisions. With new ownership in place and the possibility of more spending room, San Diego has been mentioned as a team that could shop in a higher tier if it chooses, and CBS Sports Mike Axisa pointed to Jazz Chisholm Jr. as a possible fit. Chisholm brings power, speed and defense, the kind of versatile profile that can draw attention from clubs looking to reshape the middle of the diamond.
For the Padres, the conversation naturally circles back to Jake Cronenworth and whether they want to keep building around him or look elsewhere if the market opens up. A player like Chisholm would give San Diego an intriguing alternative, especially if the club decides it wants more athleticism and a different kind of impact in the infield. The decision is still a long way off, but the new ownership era has already changed the way these possibilities are being discussed. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Face Costly Adrian Morejon Decision This Offseason
Adrian Morejon has quietly become one of the more important arms in the Padres bullpen, giving San Diego another reliable leverage option in a season when every dependable relief inning has mattered. With his performance metrics pointing to a strong year, he is putting himself in position for a significant payday once the offseason arrives, and that creates an immediate decision for a front office that has already had plenty to juggle.
Morejon is set to reach free agency, and the market for top relievers has a way of moving quickly when a pitcher can handle big moments and miss bats. The Padres could try to protect themselves with a qualifying offer, a move that would give them a path to draft-pick compensation if he leaves, but it could also shape how aggressive other teams are willing to be once bidding begins. [Read more 🡒]