New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has seen enough to name left-hander Jordan Montgomery the team’s fifth starter.
Red alert New York Yankees fans! In a turn of events more unexpected than anything M. Night Shyamalan has ever written, Aaron Boone has tapped Jordan Montgomery as the team’s fifth starter.
“I viewed it as he was a front-runner for that spot,’’ Boone told the New York Post‘s George A. King III of Montgomery, who will start Sunday against the Marlins. “We are really excited, not only about the year he put together last year but where we think he will continue to go. When I look at him I look at him as one of our starters.’’
This wildly unanticipated decision comes in the wake of a strong spring from Montgomery. In his limited play so far, the second-year pitcher has proven that his rookie campaign wasn’t a fluke. His location and pitch selection looks to be in mid-season form already. His curveball looks even more devastating than it did last year. Most importantly, he’s looked extremely confident on the mound after a full year of major league experience.
As for Chad Green, who along with Adam Warren was working a starter’s schedule this spring, he’ll head back to the bullpen, where he was nothing short of dominant in 2017.
“We will move Greenie to the pen role and start preparing him that way,’’ Boone said. “We will start to work him in that role where obviously he is capable of multiple innings.’’
The strong showing from Montgomery this spring has earned Boone’s confidence and rightfully so. Managing the pitching staff is going to be the biggest challenge that the first-year skipper will face this year. Solidifying the starting rotation this early in the spring affords Boone the opportunity to turn his focus to evaluating the bullpen arms and toying with potential lineups.
With the announcement that the skipper trusts Montgomery to be the fifth starter, fans should expect to see him continue to build on his rookie success.
