Jordan Montgomery


With high expectations for the 2021 Yankees -- balanced by several large question marks -- Jordan Montgomery has so far flown under the radar.

Newcomers Corey Kluber and Jamison Taillon bring talent and medical uncertainty, so this homegrown Yankee pitcher could be a key this season. Healthy again after losing most of 2018 and '19 to Tommy John surgery, the lefty showed flashes of effectiveness while remaining healthy during the 60-game season.

He offered some encouraging signs in Sunday's Grapefruit League start, working three shutout innings against the Phillies. Three and a half weeks from opening day, Aaron Boone could pencil him in anywhere from two through four in his rotation. But as the only lefty among the Yankees likely starting pitchers, he'll be the change of pace guy behind Gerrit Cole. And you'd be hard pressed to name a championship Yankee team without an important lefty starter.

Still just 28, there's a lot to like about Cole's talent and attitude. The biggest question, as it is for any pitcher, centers around his health and whether, in what's hoped to be a normal year, he'll be good for around 30 starts.


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