Page 172 - 2021 ATL Media Guide

FRONT OFFICE charlie 50
morton

RIGHT-HANDED PITCHER
Full Name: Charles Alfred Morton IV
MANAGER & STAFF Bats: Right Throws: Right
Weight: 215
Height: 6-5
DOB: November 12, 1983
Opening Day Age: 37
Born: Flemington, NJ
MLB Debut: June 14, 2008 Resides: Bradenton, FL
MLB Service Time: 12.010
Acquired: Signed as a free agent, November 24, 2020
CHARLIE MORTON 2020
Contract Status: Signed through 2021

• Made nine starts in his second season with CAREER HIGHS
Tampa Bay, going 2-2 with a 4.74 ERA (20
ER/38.0 IP) and 42 strikeouts to help guide the Most Innings Pitched
SEASON IN REVIEW • Over the past three seasons, his .750 Most Runs
9.0, 3x, last: 5/18/11, PIT at CIN
Rays to the A.L. East title.
winning pct. (33-11) ranks second in the
10, 8/14/09, PIT at CHC
majors behind HOU/NYY Gerrit Cole, who
is 42-13 (.764).
• Was on Tampa Bay’s injured list from August 10 Most Earned Runs
10, 8/14/09, PIT at CHC
to September 1, missing 21 games with right Most Hits Allowed
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT • In four starts prior to injury went 1-1 with 11, 5/30/11, PIT at NYM
shoulder inflammation.
a 5.40 ERA (10 ER/16.2 IP) and allowed
Most Home Runs Allowed
opponents to bat .304 against him…In five
3, 2x, last: 5/19/17, HOU vs. CLE
starts after returning, pitched to a 4.22
ERA (10 ER/21.1 IP) and held opponents to
6, 6/19/18, HOU at TEX
a .259 average. Most Walks
• Used his curveball for 32.7 pct. of his pitches, Most Strikeouts
BRAVES HISTORY in the majors (min. 100 IP). 14, 5/12/18, HOU vs. TEX
compared to 37.3 pct. in 2019—the highest rate
Longest winning streak
• His curveball registered a horizontal
movement of 17.9 inches according to
StatCast, tied for second in the majors. 11 games, 8/22/17-6/10/19
Longest losing streak
• On July 24 vs. TOR, allowed six runs in his first
career Opening Day start…At 36 years and 255 7 games, 9/8/13-5/18/14
days, became the oldest Opening Day starter
OPPONENTS in franchise history by over five years, passing • Was the oldest pitcher in the majors to
Tanyon Sturtze (31.172) in 2002.
• Became the fourth pitcher since 1978
to make his first Opening Day start at 36 make an Opening Day start since NYM’s
Bartolo Colon (41.317) in 2015, and the
years, 255 days or older, joining TOR’s oldest in the A.L. since TOR’s R.A. Dickey
R.A. Dickey in 2013, SEA’s Jamie Moyer in (39.153) in 2014…He held this distinction
2000 and TOR’s David Wells in 2000. for less than three hours, until 37-year-
MISCELLANEOUS 172 2021 ATLANTA BRAVES MEDIA GUIDE Houston later that night vs. SEA.
old Justin Verlander (37.155) started for