Still in the National League West division race, the San Diego Padres sit four games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers with seven games to play. Snapping a two-game skid, the Padres beat the Chicago White Sox 7-3 on Saturday.
After veteran starter Yu Darvish failed to get out of the fifth inning, manager Mike Shildt turned to All-Star Adrian Morejon. The left-hander delivered 1 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen and picked up the win.
Morejon is one of MLB’s least recognized All-Stars, but he has quietly been one of the league’s best relievers in 2025. He holds a 13-5 record with a 2.07 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. He has also been durable, tied for 10th in the majors with 71 appearances. His 13 wins place him tied for 13th in the majors, ranking higher than any other reliever.
According to FanGraphs WAR, Morejon ranks sixth among all relievers at 2.0 — ahead of names such as Andres Munoz, Edwin Diaz and Griffin Jax. He even ranks higher than his more well-known Padres bullpen mates Mason Miller and Robert Suarez.
Along with his 13 wins, Morejon has 19 holds and three saves. This season he is enjoying career highs in strikeout-to-walk ratio, WHIP, FIP, saves, ERA+, appearances and ERA.
Another area where he excels is in limiting the long ball. Morejon has allowed just one home run all season, good for an impeccable 0.3 HR/9.
Though not yet a household name, Morejon continues to prove he should be. As the Padres push toward the playoffs, likely as the No. 2 wild-card team, he will be trusted in the biggest moments as San Diego looks to capture its first World Series in franchise history.