Michael Lorenzen
The tragic fall of Michael Lorenzen. From no-hitter hero to giving up nothing but hits, his season was a weird one.
Lorenzen started the year with the Detroit Tigers and pitched well enough to earn himself an All-Star appearance (albeit as the Tigers' lone representative). When traded to the Phillies, there wasn't too much expectation. Traded for a low-level prospect and sliding in as the fifth or sixth starter, Lorenzen stepped on the mound and changed everyone's minds within two starts.
Michael Lorenzen throws a no hitter pic.twitter.com/Pp1veUtCvH
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) August 10, 2023
In his first two starts in Phillies pinstripes, he pitched 17 innings, allowing only two runs, six hits, and, of course, throwing a no-hitter. After the magic calmed down, Lorenzen would go on to allow 27 runs in his next six starts and was eventually pushed to the bullpen as a piggyback starter or low leverage reliever.
While Lorenzen pitched well in the first half and in starts here and there, the collapse was bound to happen. He gave up over a 40 percent hard-hit rate and an xSLG of .439. The advanced metrics told the story all along. Lorenzen did what he does, pitching to contact, getting hitters off balance, and attacking with his off-speed stuff. When he relies on his fastball, he gets into trouble, and that's what he did towards the end of the season.
Grade: C-