5 Yankees who are flying under the radar

Jordan Montgomery has not been in the Yankees rotation since May 2018

P Jordan Montgomery

After the Yankees signed Gerrit Cole back in December it looked like the rotation was set. Alongside their new ace, Luis Severino, James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka would help lead the Yankees to the postseason.

That plan has quickly changed as Severino has undergone Tommy John surgery and James Paxton is working his way back from back surgery. Now, other pitchers will have to rise to the occasion.

Jordan Montgomery is one of those arms. Montgomery first entered the fold in 2017 as a largely unheralded prospect. He did appear to be a contributor but he was not discussed like counterparts Gleyber Torres and Luis Severino.

Still, Montgomery quickly solidified a role in the backend of the Yankees rotation. He made 29 starts, posting a 3.88 ERA in 155.1 innings.

A towering 6-foot-6-inch left-hander, Montgomery landed himself a spot in the rotation in just his second season. Montgomery didn’t have front-end expectations in 2018 but New York was counting on him to be on the bump every fifth day.

Montgomery would suffer a torn ulnar collateral ligament and require Tommy John surgery after making just six stars in 2018 and he would finally return in September of last season. His work last year was mostly a dress rehearsal for earlier this spring where he would compete for a rotation spot yet again.

The general consensus was that Montgomery was going to be the fourth starter in the rotation as Paxton healed. Now that the season is delayed, Montgomery is still in line for the final spot in the rotation.

It feels like a distant memory but Montgomery was productive when he was in the rotation. When looking at his numbers compared to J.A. Happ or C.C. Sabathia’s from a year ago, he could be an improvement at the backend of the rotation.