CPBL Foreign Players Updates Volume #416
Rakuten Monkeys News: Morgan McSweeney
On December 28, broadcaster Wang Yi-Hsuan reported on social media that the Rakuten Monkeys have signed 28-year-old American right-hander Morgan McSweeney for the 2026 CPBL season.
Morgan McSweeney began his professional career in 2019 in the Baltimore Orioles system. Although he never reached the majors, he peaked at the Triple-A level and was able to perform there consistently. Across 4 Triple-A seasons, he compiled a 3.56 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP over 141.2 innings.
In 2025, Morgan McSweeney opened the season in the Atlantic League, where he posted a solid 3.00 ERA over 54 innings of work. Those strong numbers in independent ball ultimately earned him a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins in June, after which he was assigned to Triple-A. In 13 appearances, he recorded a respectable 2.21 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 61 innings, working predominantly as a starting pitcher.
According to the data on Baseball Savant, Morgan McSweeney features a 6-pitch arsenal:
- Four-seam fastball: 90.8 mph
- Cutter: 86.7 mph
- Sinker: 91.0 mph
- Change-up: 83.8 mph
- Curveball: 79.3 mph
- Slider: 82.1 mph
With the signing of Morgan McSweeney, the Rakuten Monkeys currently have Pedro Fernández (2-year deal) and Kyle Marman as their group of foreign players for the 2026 CPBL season.
Morgan McSweeney’s organizational debut in AAA-Jax.
6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 94 NP (56 strikes)
Generated 19 total whiffs, fastball averaged 90.1 mph and topped out at 92.1 mph and also threw his cutter, curveball and changeup.#Marlins @marlinsminors pic.twitter.com/ox7EvHLyZp
— Kevin Barral (@kevin_barral) June 29, 2025
Further Readings
Foreign players come and go. Therefore, we have compiled a foreign player tracker, and I’ll be updating that list regularly to keep pace with the ever-changing roster shuffle throughout the 2026 CPBL season.