Charlie Morton, Starting Pitcher, Atlanta Braves

Date of Birth: 11/12/1983
Birthplace: Flemington, New Jersey

Charlie Morton, starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, was originally drafted by the Braves in 2002. After more than seven years in the minor leagues, he made his first appearance with the Braves in 2008, playing in 16 games with them that season. The following June, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In 2009, his first season with the Pirates, Morton pitched 97.0 innings in 18 games and he finished the season with a 5-9 record and a 4.55 ERA. The following season, he was part of the Pirates' starting rotation but he played in just 17 games due to injuries.

Morton finally had a full, healthy season in 2011. That year, he pitched 171.2 innings in 29 games and he finished with a 10-10 record and a 3.83 ERA.

Morton had hip surgery in October 2011. The following June, after pitching in 9 games with the Pirates, he had Tommy John surgery that ended the season for him. In 2013, he pitched 116.0 innings in 20 games and he finished with a 7-4 record and a 3.26 ERA.

In December, 2013, Morton signed a three-year contract with the Pirates. He finished the 2014 season with 157.1 innings pitched in 26 games. He had a 6-12 record with 126 strikeouts to 57 walks and a 3.72 ERA.

Morton started the 2015 season on the DL with hip inflammation. He finished the season with a 9-9 record, 96 strikeouts to 41 walks, and a 4.81 ERA in 129.0 innings in 23 games.

Morton was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on December 12, 2015. He missed most of the 2016 season with a torn hamstring. He pitched just 17.1 innings in four games with the Phillies prior to his injury.

Morton signed a two-year contract with the Houston Astros on November 16, 2016. He had a good first season with the Astros in 2017, finishing with a 3.62 ERA in 25 games. He had career highs in 2ins with 14 (to 7 losses) and strikeouts with 163 (to 50 walks) in 146.2 innings. In the postseason, he pitched 23.1 innings in 5 games and he gave up 20 hits and 11 runs. He had a win as a starter in Game 7 of the ALCS (5.0 innings pitched, 2 hits, 5 strikeouts and 1 walk) and a win as a relief pitcher in Game 7 of the World Series (4.0 innings pitched, 2 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts and 1 walk).

Morton had another good season with Houston in 2018, finishing with a 3.13 ERA in 30 games. He had 15 wins and 3 losses and 201 strikeouts to 64 walks in 167.0 innings. In the postseason, he pitched 2.1 innings in 1 game and he gave up 3 hits and 3 runs.

Morton became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He signed with the Tampa Bay Rays on December 21, 2018. He finished the 2019 season with 16 wins and 6 losses, 240 strikeouts to 57 walks, and a 3.05 ERA in 194.2 innings in 33 games. In the postseason, he pitched 10.0 innings in 2 games and he gave up 8 hits, including a home run, and 2 runs. He struck out 13 batters and walked 5, and he had 2 wins and no losses and a 0.90 ERA.

Morton pitched in nine games in 2020. He finished the season with 2 wins and 2 losses, 42 strikeouts to 10 walks, and a 4.74 ERA in 38.0 innings. In the postseason, he had 3 wins and 1 loss, 23 strikeouts to 5 walks, and a 2.70 ERA in 20.0 innings in 4 games.

Morton became a free agent on October 30, 2020. He signed with the Braves on November 24th. He finished the 2021 season with 14 wins and 6 losses, 216 strikeouts to 58 walks, and a 3.34 ERA in 185.2 innings in 33 games. In the postseason, he gave up 11 hits, 2 home runs, and 6 runs in 16.2 innings in 4 games. He struck out 22 batters and walked 10.

Career pitching statistics for Morton through 2021 include:

• 292 games played
• 1,625.0 innings pitched
• 107-95 win-loss record
• 1,492 strikeouts to 576 walks
• 4.00 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Charlie Morton
ESPN - Charlie Morton