The Pittsburgh Pirates had an unusually active offseason, adding a handful of players who have made a significant impact on their Major League roster. One of the many new players the Bucs brought in was left-hander Mason Montgomery. Although it is still very early into the 2026 season, Montgomery has done nothing but pitch well, so well, in fact, he may make a case for the closer role by the end of the year.
Montgomery came alongside Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum from the Tampa Bay Rays. 2025 was the left-hander’s rookie season; however, his performance didn’t match his potential. Montgomery posted a 5.67 ERA with a 1.65 WHIP over 46 innings of work. The Southpaw had no problems getting strikeouts, with a 30.1% K% and 97th percentile whiff rate (35.8%). However, he also walked his fair share of opponents, with a 13.5% BB%. On the plus side, Montgomery did not have luck on his side, as indicated by a .384 batting average on balls in play, along with a sub-4.00 FIP (3.92), xFIP (3.56), and SIERA (3.55).
A Breakout in the Making
Montgomery has pitched 13.1 innings in a Pirates uniform, and the results have been much better. He has a 3.38 ERA, 2.40 FIP, and 1.35 WHIP. Although his 12.5% walk rate still isn’t great, he is making up for it with even more strikeouts. Montgomery has gotten 37.9% of batters to go down on strike three. He is in the 90th percentile or better in both chase rate (35.8%) and whiff percentage (34.2%). The biggest downside is Montgomery’s 91.3 MPH exit velocity and 10.3% barrel rate. Other than that, his season has mostly been smooth sailing.
Even while these numbers are strong, they do not do Montgomery full justice. Most of the damage done against him was by the New York Mets in his very first game of the year. Since then, he has had a 2.25 ERA, a 40% strikeout percentage, and a respectable 8% walk rate. His barrel rate shrinks to just 7.7% after excluding his Pirates debut. His chase and whiff rates are still well into elite territory, at 40.6% and 35%, respectively.
Making Montgomery’s Case Stronger With a New Pitch
Montgomery’s expanded pitch mix makes him an even stronger candidate to close games out in the near future. In 2025, he only utilized an upper-90s four-seam fastball and an upper-80s slider. The left-hander has now integrated an upper-80s curveball into the mix. It has been one of the hardest to hit curveballs in baseball, with a 47.4% whiff rate. While it has resulted in a poor 93.6 MPH exit velocity on the rare occasion batters have made contact against it, it has limited them to a one-degree launch angle. FanGraphs’ Stuff+ model loves Montgomery’s new curveball, giving it a 114.
The Pirates have utilized Montgomery in a variety of ways. On two occasions, Montgomery started games as an opener. He has recorded four holds in a Pirates uniform and has pitched in the seventh inning on seven different occasions. He has yet to pitch in the ninth inning, but hasn’t had any trouble facing batters when it matters the most. He has faced 19 batters in late and close games, allowing just four hits, one walk, and nine K’s. Montgomery is even better in high leverage, facing 13 opponents, allowing just one hit, one walk, and striking out nine.
Montgomery has done everything you would want to see from such a hard-throwing reliever with a high ceiling. He is locating better and walking far fewer opponents at a time. His Location+ went from a meager 91 to 101 this year (104 after his debut against the Mets). He is not just a fastball-slider reliever anymore, either. His new curveball isn’t just effective, but has quality attributes. With how well he has pitched recently, he’ll surely get more high-leverage opportunities. If he does well in those, Montgomery could be looking at becoming the Pirates’ closer next year (or even later this year if Dennis Santana’s concerns become more relevant).
Main Photo Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images
