WEST SACRAMENTO — Kade Morris has climbed the minor league ladder at an incredibly fast pace over the last two years and is finding himself suiting up for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators these days as a top pitching prospect for the Athletics.
Although he has traveled from one organization to another (Mets to A’s), and from farm city to city, he had yet to appear in a game in his home state of California. Until Tuesday.
Under blue skies in West Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, the 2020 Pitman High graduate took the mound for the visiting Aviators for his first professional appearance in the Golden State.
Of the 3,829 fans in attendance, over 50 were family and friends of the Morris family. They watched as the 23-year-old battled through five innings in which he gave up seven earned runs on seven hits and four walks while punching out six in an 8-0 loss.
Sutter Health Park is being shared with the Aviators’ parent club, the Athletics, and metrics show that it is one of the most hitter-friendly parks in Major League Baseball. Morris, itching for his shot in “The Show,” experienced the phenomenon first-hand, as he surrendered a pair of leadoff home runs.
The first came on a middle-in slider to Daniel Johnson, who has appeared in 14 games with the San Francisco Giants, in the third inning. The towing shot stayed just inside the right field foul pole and extended the River Cats lead to 6-0. The other came in the fifth frame, with San Francisco No. 1 prospect Bryce Eldridge depositing a hanging slider 425 feet over the visiting clubhouse in left-center field to make it 7-0.
The bulk of the damage was done in the first inning, though, when the first two Sacramento batters reached on swinging bunts, though the second was fielded by catcher Daniel Susac who opted to not throw to first. Jerar Encarnacion then walked on four pitches to set up a two-run double from Eldridge and an RBI single from Johnson. A bases loaded walk, and a sacrifice-fly were given up before Morris finally escaped with a strikeout and flyout.
Morris struck out Eldridge, Encarnacion, Wade Meckler, Grant McCray and Logan Porter over his five frames.
“That first inning, I kind of got in trouble that I wish I could’ve limited, but that’s what it’s about, limiting crooked innings,” Morris said. “But I’ll keep going, chugging along and trusting the process, and soon I’ll look up and be here, playing for the parent club, the real A’s. That’s the goal. I’ll take this with a grain of salt and use it to get better.”
Playing close to home has been a luxury that many of Turlock’s rising baseball stars have experienced in recent years. Not only did current A’s star Tyler Soderstrom play Low-A baseball in nearby Stockton, but he made his professional debut in 2021 at John Thurman Field against the Modesto Nuts. A similar story unfolded for Cole Carrigg, who like Morris was a member of the 2023 Major League Baseball draft class. The Rockies prospect made his pro debut in a Fresno Grizzlies uniform in 2023 in Modesto.
“Just having all the people out here, and it being my first time out here being this close to home, it was pretty special,” Morris said. “Just having all the love and all the people here tonight means everything.”
Morris is the scheduled starter in the series finale on Sunday, with first pitch slated for 1:05 p.m. The family is anticipating an even larger crowd to make the trip to watch Morris in person.
“Oh man, I’m going to go get them,” Morris said of the River Cats. “They got me this time, but they’re not going to get me again, I’ll tell you that.”
Morris now sports a 3-3 with a 5.44 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 9 starts in Triple-A.
