World Series: CC Sabathia always believed in Jordan Montgomery, and now we see why
Jordan Montgomery #52 of the Texas Rangers pitches in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Game Two of the World Series at Globe Life Field on October 28, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. Credit: Getty Images/Jamie Squire
ARLINGTON, Texas
Fifteen months later, it’s unclear if the Yankees recognized the bearded 6-6 lefty who stood on the mound at Globe Life Field for Saturday night’s Game 2 of the World Series.
But CC Sabathia saw the same Jordan Montgomery he used to mentor in the Bronx — just wearing a Rangers uniform now as the Texas ace and an October star.
“It’s hard to go through ups and downs in New York,” Sabathia told Newsday on the field before Game 2. “But this is who he’s always been. Always — from Day One. And I think everybody knew that.”
Well, maybe not everybody. It was Yankees general manager Brian Cashman who made the fateful decision to ship Montgomery to the Cardinals at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for glove-first centerfielder Harrison Bader, who arrived in the Bronx wearing a walking boot to deal with his plantar fasciitis. Cashman wound up putting Bader on waivers two months ago.
At the time of the trade, Cashman felt he needed a defensive upgrade more than another starting pitcher, figuring that Montgomery would be squeezed out of the Yankees’ playoff rotation. In retrospect, that wound up being a colossal miscalculation, as Montgomery has excelled since shedding his pinstripes.
He not only has developed into a bona fide front-line starter but has become a playoff monster, entering Saturday night 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in six appearances this month. He even supplied 2 1⁄3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen — on two days’ rest — to help close out the ALCS clincher over the Astros.
Coming back Saturday on his regular turn, Montgomery was effective in getting bad contact but hardly dominant in the Rangers’ 9-1 loss to the Diamondbacks. He limited Arizona to a pair of runs through the first six innings — with the big blow Gabriel Moreno’s solo homer — and was nicked for two more with none out in the seventh, the last let in by reliever Andrew Heaney.
Montgomery allowed nine hits, had one intentional walk and did not record a strikeout. He threw 75 pitches and got 37 swings but only two misses — a shockingly low number. Before Saturday, he had 17 strikeouts in 25 innings this postseason.
He could be getting tired. This is the furthest into a season he’s pitched in his seven-year career. He’s up to 229 innings, 49 more than his previous high in 2022, and his velocity was down roughly 1.5 mph across the board.
“Obviously, I didn’t have my best stuff,” Montgomery said. “But you’re not going to be perfect out there every time. Sometimes you just gotta grit.”
Given his New York exit after six relatively solid seasons (22-20, 3.94 ERA), I asked Montgomery on the eve of the World Series if he had thought this October stature could ever be in his future.
“I always knew it was possible,” he said. “It’s just kind of the way it’s been growing up. I’ve always been the ace everywhere I’ve been. I just needed some maturing — getting comfortable and confident in the league. It didn’t work out [in New York], but I’ve got nothing but respect for the Yankees. They gave me plenty of opportunities and I’m happy to start establishing what I am now.”
Montgomery still has that same slow heartbeat, whether it’s his low-key demeanor speaking with a reporter or stoic look on the mound. And though his style is different from Sabathia’s more animated behavior, there are similarities between the two beyond both wearing No. 52.
“I see a lot of my mentality in him,” Sabathia said. “I think because we spent so much time together, some of those things just rub off. He wants to take the ball all the time. I mean, he’ll take the ball anytime no matter what he’s feeling. If he’s able-bodied, he’s going to pitch. And I feel like he kind of got that from me.”
Few pitchers of this era matched Sabathia in that regard. He finished his 19-year career with 3,577 innings and had that legendary stretch after his 2008 trade from Cleveland to the Brewers, grinding to 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts, averaging more than seven innings during that span and repeatedly pitching on short rest despite his upcoming free agency.
The Rangers dealt for Montgomery in the hope he could fortify a banged-up rotation for the second-half playoff push, and when they needed him most, he went 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA (five walks, 22 strikeouts)in his final four starts.
“I think getting traded over here, and being in the position they were in, gave me a little more motivation,” said Montgomery, 30, who will be a free agent after the World Series. “It’s like, hey, they need somebody, especially while [Nathan Eovaldi] was hurt, [Jacob] deGrom’s been hurt. This was my turn to kind of carry the load a little bit and get us to where we need to get.”
Montgomery said he got a boost from the Rangers’ faith in him, and let’s face it, that’s a vibe that doesn’t always come through in the Bronx, where patience can be in short supply. But Sabathia was an early believer in Montgomery and isn’t surprised by what he’s accomplished.
“I’m excited for him,” Sabathia said. “Just watching his maturation from a rookie, being nervous, not knowing his way around, to now obviously being one of the best pitchers in the playoffs, starting Game 2 of the World Series. It’s like watching a little brother grow up. It’s pretty cool.
“He’s a great kid. He loves to learn. He’s uber-freaking competitive. And I just love the way he goes about his business.”
The fact that Montgomery is doing it for the Rangers now, rather than following in Sabathia’s footsteps in pinstripes, can be added to the pile of recent Bronx mistakes.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.