Charlie Morton

2013

Subscribe now to see our 2013 outlook.

2012

The 2011 Charlie Morton version didn't pitch like Roy Halladay, but he was a heck of a lot better than the 2010 version (or 2009, for that matter). The righty put up some atrocious numbers numbers in 2010 (7.57 ERA in 79.2 IP), but general manager Neal Huntington showed faith in him and was rewarded. The righty with a repertoire of sinking pitches surprised many with a 3.21 ERA through his first 13 starts. By the time fantasy owners bought into Morton, however, he cooled off with a 4.41 ERA the rest of the way. Morton underwent hip surgery in October to repair a torn labrum and might not be back until May. He doesn't strike out many hitters or make many lefties miss (left-handers hit .364 against him). Draft him as a spot starter and use him against right-handed dominated lineups only.

2011

Pirates GM Neal Huntington and others in management have shown an almost cult-like fostering toward Morton. The team coddled Morton, using Chris Snyder almost exclusively as his catcher over Ryan Doumit -- if only the rest of the staff had been so lucky. Morton earned his 2-12 record, compiling a historically bad 7.57 ERA and 1.732 WHIP in 79.2 innings. Opposing batters hit him at a .332 clip, numbers typically reserved for former Bucco Zach Duke. Regardless, he's still a factor in the Pittsburgh organization. He carries a low-90s fastball and a deuce that breaks off a cliff. The 27-year-old righty needs to trust his fastball, teams sat on his offspeed stuff all too frequently. After splitting time between Triple-A Indianapolis and Pittsburgh last year, Morton enters the 2011 campaign as a long shot to win a rotation spot. With his talent, however, it would be foolish to write him off altogether, as Huntington certainly hasn't.

2010

With 33 combined starts between Atlanta and Pittsburgh, Morton made it through his first full major league season intact in 2009, but it wasn't easy. Inconsistency plagued the right-hander with intriguing stuff. On Aug. 14, Morton surrendered 10 earned runs in just one inning against the Cubs. He returned to Wrigley in late September to throw the first and only shutout of his short major league career. Morton will compete for the No. 4 or 5 spot in the rotation in 2010. At this point in his career, Morton might be used in fantasy leagues based upon matchups, but every-start usage is not recommended.

2009

Morton struggled in his first season in the majors with poor control (41:48 K:BB ratio), but saw improvements in his strikeout rate and control at Triple-A (72:27 K:BB ratio). He threw just 5.2 innings in September due to a back injury, but should be fine for spring training. Despite the improvement at Triple-A, Morton's prior minor league strikeout and control numbers didn't indicate he'd have much success in the majors. He could win a spot in the rotation in spring training, and could surprise if his improvement at Triple-A continues.

2008

Morton enters 2008 with an outside shot at a big league job after Braves management were impressed with his play in the Arizona Fall League, where he went 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA and 20:8 K:BB ratio in 21 innings. His minor league strikeout and control numbers wouldn't seem to indicate he's ready for a promotion all the way from Double-A. However, a rotation spot at Triple-A and a shot at a late-season call up may be in the offing.