More Hayden Morris:Hayden Morris
RHP
Conroe Oak Ridge HS
6'8"
255 lbs
Fastball in the low-to-mid 90s. Throws a curveball and changeup as well. A fiery competitor on the mound.
Immediately below is what an Astros scout has to say about Hayden Morris:
"We’re going to move quite a bit further from the heart of the city here to take a look at another recent riser here in the form of 6’8” righty Hayden Morris, a Longhorns commit out of Conroe with big swing and miss stuff. He uses his huge frame to his advantage, creating an uncomfortable angle for hitters with his release point, and shows some very good feel for spin as well. The heater plays up from its raw velo in the low-90s thanks to the angle and arm side life, and he has shown three different secondaries to back it up, though the slider has fallen away a bit in favor of his curveball and change as of late.
Morris is 255 lbs., but there’s still room for the body to develop in terms of composition, and he’s got more twitch than your typical hurler of this size. It’s an uptempo delivery with some head movement, but his arm action is conducive to strike throwing, so he’ll be viewed as a potential rotation arm early in his career, whether he ends up in Austin or pro ball for his next stop. He’s certainly a rare breed, and could be worth the trip north to take a peek before he’s pitching on the big stage."
Houston Area Draft Prospects in the 2023 Class - The Crawfish Boxes
Hayden Morris Class of 2023 - Player Profile | Perfect Game USA
Prep Baseball Report - Player: Hayden Morris
Baseball Factory | Top Prospects | Hayden Morris
Hayden Morris | Five Tool
the "Five Tool" link immediately above has a video of Hayden pitching for the "Dodgers Scout Team". Based on this limited action at least, he appears to like to live high in the zone, and isn't afraid to come inside--for a strike on the inside corner or to back off and intimidate the batter. He's got an overhand delivery, and at his height and arm length, there's a noticeable natural drop to the ball--even on his fastballs. Kind of like our LBJ. A bit more pronounced than LBJ even, with Hayden Morris standing 6'8" and with long arms.
This dude means business
(fastball sitting easily around 90mph, with a "wipe out slider"
I wish we'd coach this sort of potentially intimidating pitcher to really brush back batters from the plate and intimidate them. I'm not saying to intentionally bean anybody. Not at all. Just come inside with a really fast pitch on occasion and brush them back. Like Nolan Ryan did so often--and he's in the Hall of Fame. Visually, Morris seems to have the aura of a "mean" pitcher. Work this psychology to our advantage.
