Jordan Montgomery, LHP
Montgomery, the Yankees’ 2014 fourth-rounder out of South Carolina, broke out in a big way in 2015. He followed it up last season with the best numbers of his young career.
The six-foot-six, 225-pound lefty was lights out in his Double-A debut. He went 9-4 with a 2.55 ERA and a 97-to-36 strikeout-to-walk ratio en route to Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star honors. Once at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he was insane, going 5-1 with a 0.97 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, striking out 37 and walking just nine in 37 innings. The season didn’t get Montgomery an invite to the 40-man roster, but he will be heading to spring training as a non-roster invitee.
Montgomery has a fastball that he has added velocity to over his career. It hits the mid-90s and has a lot of sink, which has helped with his 1.21 career ground out to air out rate. He adds in a changeup and curveball with a big drop as well as an effective cutter. With a high-80s fastball in college, Montgomery learned to use his secondary pitches with a command of the strike zone. He can flat out pitch.
Montgomery could earn a spot with a big spring training, but it is more likely that he starts the year back in SWB and arrives in May. He likely won’t go back.