When the Atlanta Braves re-signed longtime starting pitcher Charlie Morton for the final week of the season, the club was uncommitted when it came to how they'd use the 18-year veteran. On Wednesday, when they announced the rotation for the final series of the year, it looked like Braves fans would simply have to hope the 41-year-old would get a relief appearance.
However, on Thursday, the Braves changed their plans, announcing that Morton would indeed draw a start, fittingly against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who he spent the bulk of his career with.
Morton will now start Sunday’s game against the Pirates and Sale will follow. Pretty fitting ending for Charlie. The Pirates and Braves are the teams with which he spent a majority of his career.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 25, 2025
Charlie Morton will make his final MLB start on the final day of the 2025 MLB season
Initially, the Braves planned to have 2024 Cy Young winner Chris Sale start. Even with nothing to play for, it appeared the Braves still wanted Sale to have one last start of the season. While Sale will still pitch, he will instead appear out of the bullpen, which will be his first relief appearance in a regular season game since May 8, 2012.
With Sale coming out of the bullpen, the Braves can guarantee Morton and fans a farewell game. Morton pitched with the Braves his first season in the big leagues in 2008, and then spent four seasons from 2021 to 2024 with the club. The only other franchise he spent more than two seasons with outside of the Braves was the Pirates, making this final start especially poetic.
Morton will finish his career with roughly 30.7 fWAR, which solidly places him the Hall of Very Good. The righty accumulated 17.1 of that WAR between the Pirates and the Braves.
Morton's career might go down as one of the most peculiar in recent history, as he spent nearly the first decade of his career as a sinker ball pitcher with mixed results before upping his fastball velocity and favoring his curveball in the latter half of his career. He accumulated a whopping 74% of his career WAR after turning 33, making two All-Star appearances and winning two championships along the way.
Morton was an anchor in the Braves rotation in his four seasons from 2021 to 2024, making no fewer than 30 starts. His effort alone in the 2021 playoffs cemented his legacy with the team, where he pitched an inning in the World Series on a broken leg.
It's a special gesture for the Braves to give Charlie Morton one last start, and fans will certainly give the 41-year-old the send off he deserves.