Keider Montero Is Becoming the Starter the Tigers Can Finally Trust
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Keider Montero once again proved that he can compete under pressure and keep his spot in the Detroit Tigers’ starting rotation. There are not many more complicated scenarios at this point in August than facing the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup.
Montero completed an excellent start: he worked 5 ⅓ innings, allowed four hits—three of them in a complicated sixth inning—and one run, while walking just one and striking out three opponents.
The Venezuelan right-hander needed just 73 pitches to reach the sixth inning for the sixth time in his last seven starts. He attacked hitters from the beginning, getting the first strike against 17 of 21 (81%), mixing his five-pitch arsenal.
The four-seam fastball was his main weapon. He used it 45% of the time and generated 11 swings-and-misses. He also mixed in the slider, changeup and knuckle curve to generate 22 swings-and-misses combined, 30%. Through the first five innings, Montero allowed just one hit. His problems came in the sixth inning.
After a double by Alek Thomas, Freddie Freeman hit an RBI single after one out. Tigers manager A. J. Hinch gave him the opportunity to face one more batter, but Mookie Betts ended up reaching base after hitting a line drive that third baseman Hao-Yu Lee could not catch.
The hit was fieldable and put pressure on the inning. Montero finished and gave way to the bullpen. Tyler Holton solved the inning with a sensational “6-4-3” double play started by Kevin McGonigle. Behind Holton, Andrew Sears and Kenley Jansen covered the rest of the way, leaving the Dodgers scoreless after the sixth.
McGonigle hit a walk-off single and the Tigers defeated the Dodgers 2-1 on Saturday, to secure the series at Comerica Park.
Now the team is 15-13 when Montero pitches, and he improved to a 3.28 ERA in his last seven starts.
Keider Montero’s New Formula
The story of Montero’s problems began in July of last year. In four starts, he went 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA. More than half (8) of the 14 hits he allowed went for extra bases. Montero was sent down to Triple-A, where he was even moved to the bullpen. When he returned in September, the problems that most affected his outings were still present: hitters were destroying his breaking pitches.
That was the narrative around Montero’s final month of the regular season last year, and part of the challenges he had ahead of him to face this season in Detroit. Since last June, the turnaround has been surprising.
The samples are quite similar.
Period | PA | HR% | K% | BA | SLG | BABIP | Hard Hit% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 (Jun-Sep) | 85 | 10.6% | 23.5% | .305 | .695 | .302 | 41.9% |
2026 (Jun-Aug) | 94 | 3.2% | 22.3% | .211 | .356 | .242 | 22.9% |
His fastball is looking more protected by his secondary pitches. He is getting better coverage to throw his changeup while relying much more on his breaking pitches. The 7.4 percentage-point drop in HR% rate and slugging are the main signs of Montero’s major adjustment, while he has lowered his opponents’ BABIP to .242. The slight drop in strikeouts makes sense and is part of the strategy that led to his great start against the Dodgers. He is thinking more about his mix, throwing quality pitches and improving his command.
Montero no longer feels like the pitcher who is fighting all the time to strike hitters out. He is managing to go deep into games with far fewer pitches, and his adjustments are showing that he can be a force in the rotation.
In this final stretch of the season, that is what the Tigers need most to maintain their aspirations of reaching the postseason.
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Yirsandy is a baseball writer specializing in MLB coverage with experience across multiple teams and storylines. He currently writes for Diamond Centric, where he covers the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. My work focuses on game coverage, player analysis, and storytelling that connects performance with context. My Substack has also been an important part of my writing development, where I’ve built much of my baseball coverage and storytelling voice over time. I’m passionate about combining reporting, research, and thoughtful analysis to produce engaging baseball content for readers.
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