New York Yankees starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery has faced long odds before and won – take his rookie season when he came to camp with the Yankees as a non-roster invitee only to win a spot in the rotation to open the season. He would go on to place sixth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, behind his teammate and, of course, winner, Aaron Judge.
The Yankees pitcher is more than capable:
In 2017 Montgomery posted a 9-7 record with a 3.88 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 8.34 K/9, 2.95 BB9, 73.8% LOB in 155 IP. He led all rookie pitchers in fWAR with 2.8. When he went down in early May of the ’18 season, he was poised for another solid campaign to build on his rookie successes.
Unfortunately, the flexor strain turned serious when Montgomery was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in early June last year. From breakout star to obscurity – baseball can be cruel.
The lefty, nicknamed “Gumby,†is back in camp in 2019 with one goal in mind and that is to get back for the second half. As he told ESPN.com on Wednesday:
“I’ve got four more months to get [the left elbow] as strong as I can and try to work on anything I want to: my mechanics, clean those out, get my legs stronger,†Mongtgomery said, “Just to get in better shape and come back a whole new pitcher is the plan.â€
If Montgomery comes back “a whole new pitcher†the Yankees are going to get a boost in the second half from the southpaw. He has multiple minor league options and may be an up and down arm, to begin with, or he may be inserted as a regular member of the rotation. Â
What should we expect from the starting rotation?
While no one knows how the starting five will hold up over the course of the first half of the season this year, but in the second half of ’18, the Yankees starters were not as strong as they had been in the first half. The Yankees starters were 40-20 with a 4.00 ERA before the All-Star game and 18-22 with a 4.47 ERA after it in ’18.
Montgomery’s role in the second half could look something like ESPN envisions it:
Montgomery’s ideal contributions would come in some sort of back-end rotation help upon his return. As the Yankees monitor Sabathia’s workload, Montgomery could be eased in as a fifth starter. Initially, he could also be an option as a sixth starter.”
The Yankees will make the most of a fresh lefty in the second half of the season, just when it’s crucial to make a strong push for the postseason. Â
Montgomery began his throwing program just about the time the Yankees were being eliminated from the postseason in ’18. He’ll be ready for action just about the time the Yankees will be battling for position in the fiercely contested AL East. Fans are eager to see what contributions Montgomery will make towards a championship push in 2019.