The oldest starting pitcher in the American League, the Detroit Tigers' Charlie Morton, had an impressive debut performance on Sunday.
Charlie Morton was set to make his debut for the Detroit Tigers on Sunday night in their series-deciding game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Morton was acquired by the Tigers before the MLB trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles. In exchange for the two-time World Series champion, Detroit sent minor league relief pitcher Micah Ashman.
The Tigers were able to add a starting pitcher in Morton to the rotation to help push in a World Series run this season, while the Orioles traded for the future, adding 22-year-old Ashman.
Morton is listed as the oldest active starter in the American League. At 41 years old, he made his team debut against the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite the loss, he had an impressive outing against one of the best teams in baseball.
Through 6.0 innings, Morton gave up just four hits, one earned run, and struck out six in 84 pitches.
His first start with the Detroit Tigers was a sigh of relief as Morton struggled with the Baltimore Orioles in 2025. After signing a one-year, $15 million deal this past offseason, Morton finished with a 7-8 record, 5.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts in 101.1 innings.
The Tigers will take on the remaining $2.3 million Morton is owed this season and hope his playoff experience can contribute to a push towards the World Series.
Detroit's starting rotation now consists of Morton, as well as another addition in the trade deadline, Chris Paddock, 2024 Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and Casey Mize.
Category: Baseball
