Ever since he was traded from the New York Yankees to the St. Louis Cardinals, Jordan Montgomery has been one of the best starting pitchers in the MLB. Montgomery's solid outings every time out are a big reason why the Cardinals are running away with the National League Central title.
Given how good Montgomery has looked with St. Louis, there has to be a reason for his massive improvement in the blink of an eye. When asked to divulge whether or not he's done anything different since joining the Cardinals, Montgomery noted that while the Yankees didn't want him to use his fastball, the Cardinals have encouraged it, and the results have been superb for him so far.
“I’ve got a good fastball. They trust me here. The Yankees didn’t … didn’t want me throwing fastballs.” – Jordan Montgomery, The Athletic
Montgomery's take here isn't just a shot at the Yankees; it's true. In the same piece on The Athletic (written by Ken Rosenthal), it is noted that Montgomery's fastball had an 8.5 percent usage rate during his time with New York. With the Cardinals, that number has been bumped all the way up to 32 percent. Montgomery is relying much more on his fastball, and the results have been incredible.
Chalk this up as another mistake for the Yankees in a second half of the season that has been filled with them. They willingly gave up Montgomery, who was one of their most consistent starters, in return for Harrison Bader, who hasn't even played for New York yet. As Montgomery continues to rely on his fastball, the Cardinals figure to put the NL Central race to bed over the next few weeks.
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