New York Yankees: the importance of Jordan Montgomery

New York Yankees starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery is doing more than most thought he would in 2017. He holds down the five spot in the Yankee rotation, but his arm is more than just a number.

New York Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery is one of the most important parts of the team thus far in the season.

Montgomery came on to the scene this season, and is holding down the five spot very nicely in the rotation. Most teams don’t have five true starters, but Montgomery is one of the best in the league.

I know it doesn’t sound sexy to be one of the best fifth starters in the league, but it’s very important.

A fifth starter is really meant to just hold over another day of rest for a team’s top guys. The thing is, Montgomery is statistically one of the better pitchers in the league.

He is 4-4 with a 3.55 ERA. Those aren’t flashy numbers, but he really does more than most. Whether fans like it or not, the fact that Montgomery has eight decisions on the season is very important.

He also logs 63.1 innings on the year, which is about six innings per game. That’s pretty solid for a fifth guy, and it saves the bullpen a lot of arms.

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In his 63.1 innings, Montgomery has 61 strikeouts. Not too shabby if you ask me.

I just love the way Montgomery pitches. The guy has guts. No matter how you slice it, he pitches with chutzpa.

That three-quarter delivery to lefties is tough to pick up, and to righties, his breaker drops at their shins. He knows how to work counts, and locate his pitches. Yes, he’s been prone to a few big innings, but he’s not our ace.

He’s a role starter that fits the team perfectly, and that’s just what the Yankees need.