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Houston Astros: How Charlie Morton unleashed his untapped potential

By Kyle Cardoza

PHOENIX, AZ - MAY 05: Charlie Morton #50 of the Houston Astros prepares to deliver a pitch in the first inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 5, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks won 4-3. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - MAY 05: Charlie Morton #50 of the Houston Astros prepares to deliver a pitch in the first inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 5, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks won 4-3. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /
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WEST PALM BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 19: Houston Astros Pitcher Charlie Morton (50) poses for a portrait during Houston Astros Photo Day at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on February 19, 2017, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

“The most underrated signing of 2017”

Five starts is all it took for Morton to gain fans’ attention. And it was the fifth one –- at the end of April – that signified he was a different pitcher than before.

Morton spun seven innings against the Athletics, garnering 12 strikeouts, which was a career-high at the time. Despite not being known for an overpowering repertoire, he racked up 15 swinging strikes.

But that was just the beginning.

Although Morton didn’t post a career-best ERA, he boasted above-average numbers compared to prior seasons. And how he attained those statistics boiled down to two critical variables.

He missed more bats, and he dominated left-handed hitters.

While Morton wasn’t a one-trick, contact-focused pitcher, he wasn’t exactly a hard-throwing, swing-and-miss guy in Pittsburgh. Throughout his seven seasons with the Pirates, he averaged registered 563 strikeouts across 782 innings, which is 6.48 punch-outs per nine innings.

Though he possesses a five-pitch repertoire, Morton mastered a one-two punch with his fastball and curveball. He always had the curveball as a payoff pitch, but he added steam to his heater. Combined with better accuracy, he was able to blow pitches past hitters at a respectable 96 mph.

He upped his strikeout rate to exactly 10 whiffs per nine innings, a career-high. He finished the year ranked first on the team in strikeouts, as well as wins.

How Morton came to dominate southpaws at the dish is more uncertain, more cryptic.

Lefties feasted on him throughout much of his time in Pittsburgh. The worst average hitters sported against him in a year was in 2014 before he became a part of the Astros.

Stats vs. Left-Handed Hitters (Batting Average Against/On-Base Percentage/Slugging) per FanGraphs

  • 2015: .299/.389/.506 (298 batters faced)
  • 2014: .239/.340/.324 (333 batters faced)
  • 2013: .302/.425/.419 (230 batters faced)
  • 2012: .290/.342/.398 (114 batters faced)
  • 2011: .357/.460/.500 (338 batters faced)
  • 2010: .322/.384/.552 (160 batters faced)
  • 2009: .314/.383/.540 (209 batters faced)

Since his addition to the club, lefties have hit below .200. Their combined OPS against Morton is an appalling sub-.600. He struck out 94 lefties and allowed just six homers against them in 2017.

What used to be his downfall is now his advantage. That’s essentially the motto for Morton’s resurgence the past two years.

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