Mariners Analysis: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not

Jun 2, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Mike Montgomery (37) bumps fists with shortstop Brad Miller (5) in the dugout after the last out of the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Stock Up: Mike Montgomery

Mike Montgomery has been making a name for himself since being called up, and M’s fans have to be pleasantly surprised. The young southpaw collected his first MLB victory, pitching six sharp innings, allowing just one earned run against the Astros on Saturday night. That is all the more impressive when you take into account that his start was sandwiched in-between King Felix giving up eight runs in just a third of an inning, and Roenis Elias getting rocked.

I had the pleasure to watch this young man from 15 rows up behind home plate in Houston, and his stuff definitely impressive. He kept hitters off balance all night, and worked carefully around an Astros’ lineup that if mistakes are made, they’ll make you pay as we saw. What impressed me most though, was the veteran poise that he showed throughout the start. Knowing how big of a series this was and watching King Felix get dethroned the night before, he had to feel immense pressure. The five run first inning had to help settle those nerves, but he still had to come out and put up zeros on the board and that is exactly what he did.

In the last seven days Monty has pitched 13 innings, allowing three runs on 13 hits. He has also struck out seven during this time frame, and sports an ERA of 2.08. I don’t know who the M’s are going to send down once Hisashi Iwakuma and James Paxton come back, but it will be a tough decision as Mike Montgomery has stated his case. If the M’s can find a way back into this race, look for Zduriencik to dangle the 25-year-old southpaw as trade bait for a hitter.

Next: Roenis Elias