Pirates Have Star Closer For the Future
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates struggled to hold onto leads early in the season, but they haven't had that issue as of late.
Left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery has taken over the Pirates' closer role and just threw his 24th consecutive scoreless appearance with his save in the 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals at PNC Park on Sept. 20, securing a series sweep.
It is the longest streak of any Pirates pitcher in a single season in the Modern Era (since 1901), eclipsing Mark Melancon's record of 23 consecutive scoreless appearances in 2015.
Montgomery has been fantastic as a closer, and he's given the Pirates someone they can rely on in that role for the future.
Montgomery Among Best Closers in Baseball
The last time Montgomery gave up any runs came on July 26, when Chicago Cubs designated hitter Seiya Suzuki hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning off of him at PNC Park.
Montgomery left a curveball over the middle of the plate, which Suzuki crushed into the left-field bleachers, but still got the save.
It was just his second save of the season, but Montgomery stayed in the role and has thrived for the Pirates.
He's given up just nine hits, seven walks and two intentional walks to 34 strikeouts over 23.2 innings pitched in his last 24 outings.
Montgomery is one of the best relief pitchers in baseball during that time, tied for the most saves (14), and the fifth-best in BAA (.111) and WHIP (0.68).
He's been incredible in September as well, leading MLB with nine saves and also posting a .143 BAA and a 0.87 WHIP, putting himself in conversation for National League Relief Pitcher of the Month.
Why Montgomery Has Gotten Better This Season
The Pirates added Montgomery in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays this past offseason, along with second baseman Brandon Lowe and outfielder Jake Mangum.
Montgomery wasn't the elite pitcher he is now for the first three months of 2026, posting a 4.68 ERA through 33 games and 32.2 innings pitched, with a .236 BAA and a 1.41 WHIP.
He began working with Pirates pitching coach Bill Murphy on adding new pitches to his arsenal, sticking with the four-seam fastball and slider, but introducing the curveball and, more importantly, his two-seamer/sinker.
Montgomery has thrown the two-seamer more than half the time over the past two months, with his four-seamer usage down to a quarter and both the curveball and slider make up less than 20%.
His success with the sinker is a big reason for this scoreless streak, and he's allowed just six hits on it this season.
Montgomery's success has made him a consistent staple for the Pirates, pitching in 10 of their 18 games and taking on a bigger workload.
He even threw a four-out save against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on Sept. 17, avoiding a sweep against a divisional rival and showing that he can go longer than his usual one inning of work.
“You know, I’d say it’s just given me more confidence and knowing that, if I stay consistent with my processes and my routines, trust my stuff, trust who I am as a pitcher, I can have success," Montgomery said after his outing.
The Pirates have a key part of their bullpen for next season and the future, with four more years of team control through the 2030 season.
Montgomery and setup man Luke Weaver should form a great partnership next season, while the Pirates also have long relievers in Lake Bachar, Carmen Mlodzinski and Yohan Ramírez, plus a few younger arms that will look to prove themselves in 2027 too.
The Pirates won't make the playoffs this season, but having Montgomery to close out games gives them hope they can do just that next year.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.