The Baltimore Orioles needed at least five innings from starting pitcher Charlie Morton. Brandon Hyde even said as much, putting the pressure on ground chuck for a quality start, as the O's bullpen ix taxxed. Unfortunately for the Orioles, Morton is not the same starting pitcher he once was, and he certainly should not be a frontline starter in any contending team's rotation.
“Our bullpen’s had a pretty heavy load so far. When we’re getting four-inning starts, it’s gonna take its toll,” Hyde said, per The Baltimore Banner. “Come on, Charlie Morton, need you. That’s the bottom line. We need to give some of these guys a break.”
Morton would've done the O's far more of a service by not showing up to the ballpark on Sunday. The 41-year-old is on his last legs, as many around the industry thought he'd retire this past winter.
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Orioles really should've seen Charlie Morton's decline coming
Instead, Morton left the Braves for the best offer he could get, which was in Baltimore on a short-term deal. Morton spoke about his free agency experience recently, and suggested it wasn't for him.
“I mean, it’s exciting because of the possibilities, right?" Morton says. “Maybe you get a chance to put on a uniform of the team you always wanted to wear, or a chance for a fresh start, but I’ve always wanted to be a guy that wanted to be in the same place."
An experience that should've been exciting for Morton – pitching for a contending team back in the American League – has instead turned into a nightmare. Morton has struggled mightily so far this season. On Sunday in a start the O's needed him most, Morton exited in under three innings of work, giving up seven runs in the process. Baltimore was behind the eight ball early and often.
Charlie Morton wasn't sharp down the stretch last season with the Atlanta Braves.
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) April 20, 2025
Here are his numbers over his past 15 starts -- his final 10 starts in 2024 and his five in 2025:
6.45 ERA // 1.689 WHIP // .297 BAA // 11.1% BB%
As bad as we feel for Morton in this scenario, it's not exactly like we didn't see it coming. Morton's never been one to rely on velocity, but so far this season his location as been sketchy at best, and he's lost a few MPH on his fastball. That makes a difference against big-league competition.
The Braves project pitchers better than most MLB organizations. If Alex Anthopoulos wanted no part of Morton after four valuable seasons, there was likely a reason for that.