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Michael Lorenzen threw a no-hitter on Wednesday versus the Cincinnati Reds. It was certainly an impressive debut for Lorenzen in his new home park after being traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the 2023 deadline.
It's been quite the journey for the 31-year old California native. In fact, there was a time when Lorenzen was written off by many. His hard work and dedication helped him not only remain in the big leagues, but emerge as a star, making his first All-Star team in 2023 as a member of the Tigers prior to the trade.
Today, we are going to break down his career and reveal how Michael Lorenzen went from an overlooked reliever to a no-hitter throwing All-Star.
Michael Lorenzen's first years in the big leagues
After originally being selected in the 2010 MLB Draft out of high school, he opted to instead further his baseball career in college. Lorenzen attended Cal State Fullerton and ended up getting drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 2013.
Lorenzen would cruise through the minor leagues and make his MLB debut in 2015. Despite previously being a good hitter before reaching professional baseball, Lorenzen focused on pitching at the big league level. He struggled across 27 games (21 starts) in his rookie season though, pitching to the tune of a 5.40 ERA, per Baseball Reference.
He turned things around in 2016 while primarily pitching as a reliever. Lorenzen posted a 2.88 ERA across 35 appearances out of the bullpen.
Lorenzen struggled to find consistency throughout the course of his remaining years in Cincinnati. He labored through some seasons but impressed in others, all while mostly working out of the bullpen. Finally, he ended up joining the Los Angeles Angels ahead of the 2022 season.
Lorenzen becomes a full-time starting pitcher
His tenure in Cincinnati was filled with ups and downs. The harsh reality is that he'd become an overlooked reliever though. But Michael Lorenzen wanted to start games and that is exactly what the Angels allowed him to do.
Pitching in his home city, as Lorenzen is from Anaheim, CA, the right-hander finished the 2022 campaign with a 4.24 ERA over the course of 18 games (all starts). Although it wasn't the breakout season he probably had in mind, Lorenzen had proven he could be a reliable starting pitcher in the major leagues.
Lorenzen signed with the Tigers before 2023 after just one season in Anaheim. The decision to join Detroit was questioned by some since they have struggled over the past few seasons. However, the Tigers were willing to allow Lorenzen to start on a consistent basis, and the move to Detroit benefitted Lorenzen without question.
He ended up being named to his first All-Star team as a representative of the Tigers in 2023. Prior to being traded from Detroit to Philadelphia, he posted a 3.58 ERA with 83 strikeouts as a member of the Tigers.
Michael Lorenzen throws a no-hitter
Being named to an All-Star team is already an impressive accomplishment. In just his second start as a member of the Phillies, however, Lorenzen fired a no-hitter against the Nationals.
It was a tremendous performance that saw Lorenzen strikeout five hitters over nine innings of work. He also walked four batters, which led to a high pitch count, but he still managed to get the job done.
For Lorenzen, it has to feel like the culmination of his aforementioned determination and hard work. He could have easily grown used to being a decent big league reliever and still made a very successful living for himself. In the end, though, Lorenzen clearly had higher aspirations and has become one of the better starting pitchers in all of baseball.
