Tigers Hurler Keider Montero to Start for Team Venezuela in WBC Semifinal
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The WBC is hitting its peak of excitement as they head into the semifinal games starting on Sunday with Team USA taking on Team Dominican Republic. The other final four game comes on Monday in an unexpected matchup between Team Italy and Team Venezuela.
It will be Team Italy's first time reaching this stage of the tournament, but it won't be for Team Venezuela. However, despite being a relative baseball powerhouse, it will be the first time in 17 years that they have made it to the semifinals.
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The last thime they did so was in the 2009 edition of the WBC in which they lost to Team Korea 10-2. However, this has been a very resilient team who took out Team Japan, one of the favorites of the entire tournament on Saturday. For their matchup against Team Italy, Detroit Tigers' third year starter Keider Montero will take the mound, according to Team Venezuela manager, Omar López.
Montero is Set for the Biggest Start of His Career
Montero's career is really just getting started. He has started 28 games in his first two seasons in the big leagues, but has also pitched 11 games in relief. He's had about a full season's worth of innings from a starter in his first two seasons, so he's still relatively inexperienced.
In 144.1 innings as a starter, the 25-year-old has posted a 4.05 ERA, walked 47 batters and struck out 108. He struggles with the longball, posting a HR/9 of 1.3, but he's been about a league average pitcher in his career with an ERA+ of 91.
Despite his youth, Montero has pitched in a number of big games with 8.1 postseason innings over Detroit's rise over the last two seasons.
During the 2024 run, the right-hander pitched twice in the ALDS. In his first outing, he went two innings and gave up one hit while striking out three. He started Game 3, but that was a bullpen game for the Tigers. He pitched an inning, facing the minimum.
He was much more instrumental during the 2025 postseason trip. He pitched in three games for Detroit, including a crucial save in an 11 inning win to kick of the ALDS.
Monetero's next two outings were both multi-inning relief appearances. He gave up an unearned run in 2.2 innings in Game 3, the only run he's surrendered in his postseason career. In the 15 innings loss in Game 5, Montero pitched in the 11th and 12th innings and allowed two base runners.
The young right-hander has had his struggles in the big leagues, but he's stepped it up and gave his best performances when it mattered most in the postseason. Every player in the tournament has said the WBC is on par with playoff baseball, so Montero might just thrive.
Team Venezuela will want some innings out of Montero. In his last appearance against Nicaragua in Pool Play, he pitched three innings, allowing three hits and striking out two. The right-hander seems ready for the moment against the tournament underdogs in Team Italy.
