Tanner Morris

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #19 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Morris showed strong on-base skills while in college at Virginia and in the Cape Cod League. Signed for $397,500 as draft-eligible sophomore in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, Morris continued to show his disciplined approach with High-A Vancouver in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Morris is an offensive-minded infielder with a hit-over-power profile. He has a good eye for the strike zone, puts together quality at-bats and is comfortable hitting with two strikes. He controls the barrel well, spraying line drives to all fields with a simple lefthanded swing. What holds Morris back offensively is his well below-average power. Entering his age-24 season, he might never develop the strength to drive the ball with much authority. A shortstop at Virginia, Morris has spent time there with the Blue Jays, but he mostly played third base and second in 2021. He has a strong arm that could fit at third base and is reliable on balls he gets to, but his actions aren’t the smoothest and his lack of first-step quickness limits his range.
  
  The Future: Morris has the contact skills and plate discipline to be a high on-base threat, but he will need to get stronger for it to work against more advanced pitching. He will get his first test in the upper minors in 2022 when he opens at Double-A New Hampshire.
  
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #29 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Morris had a strong summer in the Cape Cod League and followed it up by hitting .345/.452/.507 with more walks than strikeouts as a draft-eligible sophomore at Virginia in 2019. The Blue Jays drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for $397,500. Morris showed the same on-base skills in his pro debut in the short-season Northwest League after signing, but he arrived at instructional league in 2020 having lost weight, which took a toll on his performance.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Morris is a disciplined hitter who doesn't expand the strike zone and puts himself in advantageous counts to manage his at-bats. He has a simple lefty stroke and good bat control with a swing geared for line drives and sending the ball to the opposite field. If he learns to turn on certain pitches, there could be more power coming, but he doesn't project as a power threat for now. Morris has a strong arm and generally makes the routine play on balls he can get to, but his first-step quickness and range is thin for shortstop, which should lead him to second or third base, with a focus on improving his body positioning on defense.
  
  THE FUTURE: Morris has the components to be a high on-base threat if he can drive the ball with more impact. He is set to open 2021 at one of the Class A levels.
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #29 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Morris performed at a high-level as a draft-eligible sophomore at Virginia in 2019, then signed with the Blue Jays for $397,500 as a fifth-round pick. Morris had a good track record of getting on base as an amateur and he continued to do that when he got to the short-season Northwest League.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Morris is a disciplined hitter who does an excellent job controlling the strike zone. He doesn't chase much, working himself into favorable counts and has good bat control with a simple lefty stroke, so the components are there for him to be a high on-base threat. His swing and approach are geared toward hitting line drives and sending the ball the opposite way, which limits his power. There could be more untapped power in there for Morris if he adjusts his approach and learns how to pull pitches with authority, but he probably will always have a hit-over-power profile. Morris was a shortstop in college but is likely to end up at second or third base eventually, with some scouts thinking he might head to the outfield. He has a strong arm for the left side of the infield, but he's a below-average runner who lacks the first-step quickness or range for shortstop.
  
  THE FUTURE: He should be in low Class A Lansing to start 2020.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #124 prospect in 2019 draft
  A draft-eligible sophomore, Morris has one of the more complete hitting approaches in the class dating back to his days as a high schooler, when he showed impressive barrel control and a contact-oriented look at the plate. He's hit for high averages in both of his seasons at Virginia, but he's filled out more physically and started to tap into more extra-base power in 2019. Morris' swing is naturally suited toward hitting the ball the opposite way and into the left-center field gap, although he's become a bit more pull-happy as he's tried to hit for more power. Right now, he has a hit-over-power profile, but scouts believe more power will come in the future. Morris plays shortstop for Virginia, and he's been fine thanks to a strong arm and high baseball IQ, but he lacks the first-step quickness and short actions necessary to handle the position in pro ball. A well below-average runner, Morris is likely better suited for third base or a corner outfield position, although a team high on his defensive ability might try to keep him in the middle infield at second base. Wherever he winds up defensively, Morris' hit tool is his carrying trait. He has a strong track record of hitting in the ACC and a productive Cape Cod League appearance in 2018, when he hit .331/.404/.449 in 35 games.
• Ranked #267 prospect in 2017 draft
  Morris is a wiry 6-foot-2, 190-pound infielder who has added strength and has good barrel control that suits a contact-oriented approach at the plate. He has a high baseball IQ and good makeup that should help him wherever he plays at the next level. He's signed with Virginia if he heads to college. A shortstop in high school, Morris will likely have to move off the position at the next level, as he's bulked up, has a long arm action and doesn't have the speed to stick at the position. He's got a strong arm, so it's possible that third base is a fit, but second might be a stretch because of the way his hands work.

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Morris showed strong on-base skills while in college at Virginia and in the Cape Cod League. Signed for $397,500 as draft-eligible sophomore in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, Morris continued to show his disciplined approach with High-A Vancouver in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Morris is an offensive-minded infielder with a hit-over-power profile. He has a good eye for the strike zone, puts together quality at-bats and is comfortable hitting with two strikes. He controls the barrel well, spraying line drives to all fields with a simple lefthanded swing. What holds Morris back offensively is his well below-average power. Entering his age-24 season, he might never develop the strength to drive the ball with much authority. A shortstop at Virginia, Morris has spent time there with the Blue Jays, but he mostly played third base and second in 2021. He has a strong arm that could fit at third base and is reliable on balls he gets to, but his actions aren&#39t the smoothest and his lack of first-step quickness limits his range.
  
  The Future: Morris has the contact skills and plate discipline to be a high on-base threat, but he will need to get stronger for it to work against more advanced pitching. He will get his first test in the upper minors in 2022 when he opens at Double-A New Hampshire.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Morris showed strong on-base skills while in college at Virginia and in the Cape Cod League. Signed for $397,500 as draft-eligible sophomore in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, Morris continued to show his disciplined approach with High-A Vancouver in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Morris is an offensive-minded infielder with a hit-over-power profile. He has a good eye for the strike zone, puts together quality at-bats and is comfortable hitting with two strikes. He controls the barrel well, spraying line drives to all fields with a simple lefthanded swing. What holds Morris back offensively is his well below-average power. Entering his age-24 season, he might never develop the strength to drive the ball with much authority. A shortstop at Virginia, Morris has spent time there with the Blue Jays, but he mostly played third base and second in 2021. He has a strong arm that could fit at third base and is reliable on balls he gets to, but his actions aren’t the smoothest and his lack of first-step quickness limits his range.
  
  The Future: Morris has the contact skills and plate discipline to be a high on-base threat, but he will need to get stronger for it to work against more advanced pitching. He will get his first test in the upper minors in 2022 when he opens at Double-A New Hampshire.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Morris had a strong summer in the Cape Cod League and followed it up by hitting .345/.452/.507 with more walks than strikeouts as a draft-eligible sophomore at Virginia in 2019. The Blue Jays drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for $397,500. Morris showed the same on-base skills in his pro debut in the short-season Northwest League after signing, but he arrived at instructional league in 2020 having lost weight, which took a toll on his performance.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Morris is a disciplined hitter who doesn't expand the strike zone and puts himself in advantageous counts to manage his at-bats. He has a simple lefty stroke and good bat control with a swing geared for line drives and sending the ball to the opposite field. If he learns to turn on certain pitches, there could be more power coming, but he doesn't project as a power threat for now. Morris has a strong arm and generally makes the routine play on balls he can get to, but his first-step quickness and range is thin for shortstop, which should lead him to second or third base, with a focus on improving his body positioning on defense.
  
  THE FUTURE: Morris has the components to be a high on-base threat if he can drive the ball with more impact. He is set to open 2021 at one of the Class A levels.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Morris had a strong summer in the Cape Cod League and followed it up by hitting .345/.452/.507 with more walks than strikeouts as a draft-eligible sophomore at Virginia in 2019. The Blue Jays drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for $397,500. Morris showed the same on-base skills in his pro debut in the short-season Northwest League after signing, but he arrived at instructional league in 2020 having lost weight, which took a toll on his performance.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Morris is a disciplined hitter who doesn't expand the strike zone and puts himself in advantageous counts to manage his at-bats. He has a simple lefty stroke and good bat control with a swing geared for line drives and sending the ball to the opposite field. If he learns to turn on certain pitches, there could be more power coming, but he doesn't project as a power threat for now. Morris has a strong arm and generally makes the routine play on balls he can get to, but his first-step quickness and range is thin for shortstop, which should lead him to second or third base, with a focus on improving his body positioning on defense.
  
  THE FUTURE: Morris has the components to be a high on-base threat if he can drive the ball with more impact. He is set to open 2021 at one of the Class A levels.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Morris had a strong summer in the Cape Cod League and followed it up by hitting .345/.452/.507 with more walks than strikeouts as a draft-eligible sophomore at Virginia in 2019. The Blue Jays drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for $397,500. Morris showed the same on-base skills in his pro debut in the short-season Northwest League after signing, but he arrived at instructional league in 2020 having lost weight, which took a toll on his performance.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Morris is a disciplined hitter who doesn't expand the strike zone and puts himself in advantageous counts to manage his at-bats. He has a simple lefty stroke and good bat control with a swing geared for line drives and sending the ball to the opposite field. If he learns to turn on certain pitches, there could be more power coming, but he doesn't project as a power threat for now. Morris has a strong arm and generally makes the routine play on balls he can get to, but his first-step quickness and range is thin for shortstop, which should lead him to second or third base, with a focus on improving his body positioning on defense.
  
  THE FUTURE: Morris has the components to be a high on-base threat if he can drive the ball with more impact. He is set to open 2021 at one of the Class A levels.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Morris performed at a high-level as a draft-eligible sophomore at Virginia in 2019, then signed with the Blue Jays for $397,500 as a fifth-round pick. Morris had a good track record of getting on base as an amateur and he continued to do that when he got to the short-season Northwest League.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Morris is a disciplined hitter who does an excellent job controlling the strike zone. He doesn't chase much, working himself into favorable counts and has good bat control with a simple lefty stroke, so the components are there for him to be a high on-base threat. His swing and approach are geared toward hitting line drives and sending the ball the opposite way, which limits his power. There could be more untapped power in there for Morris if he adjusts his approach and learns how to pull pitches with authority, but he probably will always have a hit-over-power profile. Morris was a shortstop in college but is likely to end up at second or third base eventually, with some scouts thinking he might head to the outfield. He has a strong arm for the left side of the infield, but he's a below-average runner who lacks the first-step quickness or range for shortstop.
  
  THE FUTURE: He should be in low Class A Lansing to start 2020.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  A draft-eligible sophomore, Morris has one of the more complete hitting approaches in the class dating back to his days as a high schooler, when he showed impressive barrel control and a contact-oriented look at the plate. He's hit for high averages in both of his seasons at Virginia, but he's filled out more physically and started to tap into more extra-base power in 2019. Morris' swing is naturally suited toward hitting the ball the opposite way and into the left-center field gap, although he's become a bit more pull-happy as he's tried to hit for more power. Right now, he has a hit-over-power profile, but scouts believe more power will come in the future. Morris plays shortstop for Virginia, and he's been fine thanks to a strong arm and high baseball IQ, but he lacks the first-step quickness and short actions necessary to handle the position in pro ball. A well below-average runner, Morris is likely better suited for third base or a corner outfield position, although a team high on his defensive ability might try to keep him in the middle infield at second base. Wherever he winds up defensively, Morris' hit tool is his carrying trait. He has a strong track record of hitting in the ACC and a productive Cape Cod League appearance in 2018, when he hit .331/.404/.449 in 35 games.