BIOGRAPHY
Eli Morgan was born May 13, 1996, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. He is a pitcher in the MLB.
In 2015, as a freshman at Gonzaga, Morgan pitched to a 1–0 record with a 2.36 ERA in 14 appearances (three starts). As a sophomore in 2016, he transitioned into a full-time starter, going 10–3 with a 3.73 ERA in 16 starts, earning him a spot on the All-West Coast Conference First Team. After the season, he played in the Cape Cod League for the Orleans Firebirds. In 2017, his junior season, Morgan compiled a 10–2 record with a 2.86 ERA in 14 starts and was once again named to the All-WCC First Team. After his junior year, he was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the eighth round of the 2017 MLB draft.
Morgan signed with the Indians and made his professional debut that season with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, pitching to a 3–2 record with a 1.03 ERA in 35 innings. He began 2018 with the Lake County Captains and was promoted to the Lynchburg Hillcats in May. In 27 starts between the two clubs, Morgan went 9–7 with a 3.27 ERA, striking out 156 batters in 143 1⁄3 innings. In 2019, he began the year with Lynchburg before being promoted to the Akron RubberDucks in May, with whom he was named an Eastern League All-Star. In July, he made one spot start with the Columbus Clippers 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 140 2⁄3 innings.
Morgan was called up to the majors by the Indians on May 28, 2021, and made his major league debut that same day, starting against the Toronto Blue Jays.
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. For the 2021 Indians, Morgan started 18 games in which he went 5–7 with a 5.34 ERA and 81 strikeouts over 89+1⁄3 innings.
Pitching for the Cleveland Guardians in 2022, Morgan was 5-3 with 10 holds and a 3.38 ERA, as in 50 games (one start) he pitched 66.2 innings, 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 of 6.09. 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.
