Yankees Prospect Jordan Montgomery Continuing His Rise

The Yankees may struggle a bit in 2017 with their starting rotation, but there is plenty of good news in the minor leagues.

A few days ago, Yanks Go Yard profiled Yankees right-hander Chance Adams. Now, let’s look at his southpaw counterpart, Jordan Montgomery, who might be seen in the Bronx as early as this season.

The Yankees went big when they drafted Jordan in the 4th round (122nd overall) of the 2014 amateur draft. Built along the lines of Clayton Kershaw, Montgomery, at 6’6″ and 225, commands a hitters attention with his presence on the mound.

Montgomery came to the Yankees notice when he was attending the University of North Carolina. Hitting the gun 88-92 range, he didn’t open eyes wide, except that his command of the strike zone was promising. Throughout the first year as a professional in the Yankees system, he worked hard to polish his pitches.

However, the potential was more than visible as he pitched six innings without giving up a hit not once, but twice while he was with Tampa.

2016 however, proved to be a turnaround year for Montgomery as he was suddenly able to crack 94 on the radar gun, which made his exceptional changeup even more effective, while still maintaining command of the strike zone.

Between AA Trenton and AAA Scranton, he went 14-5 with a 2.13 ERA in 140 innings. Even more impressive though is that he gave up only 5 home runs and by the end of the season had a 4-1 ratio of strikeouts to walks.

MLB.com concludes their scouting report on Montgomery by saying:

“A good athlete, Montgomery repeats his clean delivery well, which allows him to locate his pitches where he wants. He’s a safe bet to become a back-of-the-rotation starter, and if his newfound velocity is for real, he could be more than that.”

Because he doesn’t have the length of service with the Yankees as starters like Bryan Mitchell, Luis Severino, Cessa, and Kaprielian, Montgomery will be starting the season most likely at AAA Scranton. But not before he gets an invite to Spring Training, where he will have an opportunity to impress before he gets sent down in one of the later cuts of the spring.

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Should any of them falter or succumb to injury, Montgomery could find himself among the first to be called up to join the rotation. For now, though, it’s a wait your turn game. And above all else, don’t slide backward. And don’t, as Sachel Paige was so fond of saying, “look back because someone might be gaining on you.”

But that appears to be the good thing about Montgomery in that he is only looking forward. His demeanor on the mound tells you that, as well as his confidence in his repertoire of pitches. All of which makes his appearance in a Yankees uniform like at some point during the 2017 season, even if only for a cup of coffee.

Next: Yankees: My Favorite Stories From The Year That Was

As with all the Yankees prospects, Yanks Go Yard will keep you abreast of their development throughout the 2017 season.