The Cuban reliever Adrián Morejón has become the left-handed pitcher with the most 100 miles per hour pitches or more in Major League Baseball during the 2026 season, according to data published by Pelota Cubana on their social media.
The flamethrower, a key piece of the bullpen for the San Diego Padres, has recorded 181 pitches at that speed or above so far this season.
The number not only crowns him among left-handed pitchers but also places him fifth in the overall MLB rankings, ahead of dozens of right-handers. The only four pitchers who surpass him are Jacob Misiorowski (931), Mason Miller (412), Edgardo Henríquez (387), and Tyron Guerrero (275), all of whom are right-handed throwers.
The distance that separates Morejón from the rest of the left-handed pitchers is particularly striking. The second in that category, Mason Montgomery, has accumulated 77 pitches of at least 100 mph this season. The Cuban surpasses him by 104 pitches, more than double the record of his closest pursuer.
In total, 88 pitchers have reached triple digits at least once during this season, but no left-hander has done so as frequently as the Antillean. For a left-handed pitcher to consistently exceed 100 mph is a rarity in modern baseball, making the Cuban's achievement all the more significant.
The overall statistics for Morejón in 2026 support his current performance: a record of 9-2, an earned run average of 2.59, 89 strikeouts, and 62 appearances as a high-leverage reliever. His average four-seam fastball is around 99.2 mph, while his sinker averages 99.5 mph, with a reported maximum of 101.7 mph for the season.
The performance this year follows an equally memorable 2025 season, in which the player from Havana set the record for the most wins by a Cuban reliever in a single MLB campaign with 13 victories, surpassing the previous mark of 12 established by Minnie Rojas in 1967 with the California Angels.
Morejón signed with San Diego in July 2016 for an $11 million bonus and made his Major League debut in July 2019 at the age of 20. His career was initially marked by injuries that hindered his development as a starter, but his transition to a relief role allowed him to showcase his best potential.
At just 27 years old, the Cuban combines a fastball that consistently exceeds three digits with a repertoire that has made him a high-impact arm for the Padres, and one of the fastest left-handed relievers in American baseball in the recent history of the league.
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