2025 Report Card: Frankie Montas, SP

Frankie Montas

Age: 32 (3/21/1993) B/T: R/R

2025 Traditional Stats: 3-2, 6.28 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 32 SO, 14 BB, 38 2/3 IP, 9 G (7 GS)

2025 Advanced Stats: 64 ERA+, 18 K%, 7.9 BB%, 5.29 xERA, 5.33 FIP, 4.76 xFIP, 0.0 fWAR, -0.6 bWAR

2025 salary: $17 million

Grade: F

2025 Review

Perhaps looking for results similar to when he signed Luis Severino the previous offseason, David Stearns inked Frankie Montas to a two-year deal last December. Montas, like Severino, had produced in the majors, pitching to a 2.63 ERA in 2019 and finishing sixth in Cy Young voting in 2021, but injuries and ineffectiveness had plagued him since.

Unfortunately, injuries and ineffectiveness were the story of Montas’ first (and possibly last) season with the Mets.

He was diagnosed with a high-grade lat strain in spring training and shut down from throwing for six to eight weeks. After six rehab outings in the minor leagues, he made his Mets debut on June 24 against the Braves. It was encouraging, five scoreless innings and five strikeouts.

In his second start, Montas gave up six runs on seven hits in a 12-1 loss to the Pirates and believed he was “100 percent” tipping his pitches. He said he cleaned up the problem and had a three-start stretch that followed where he earned wins against the Yankees, Royals and Angels. Things got ugly from there.

He gave up five runs against the Padres, seven runs to the Giants, and was demoted to the bullpen on Aug. 12.

“I was not happy,” Montas told Jon Heyman of the New York Post. “I consider myself a starting pitcher. But in the meantime, whatever they need me to do to help, I’m willing to do it.”

His last outing of the season was a relief appearance against the Mariners on Aug. 15. He felt soreness afterward and was diagnosed with a UCL tear in his right elbow.

“He was pretty devastated when he found out, and rightfully so,” Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s been a hard year for him since spring training when he went down. He put in a lot of time rehabbing, came back and didn’t have the results.”

“When you get hurt the first day,” Montas told Heyman, “and you’re not able to, for example, pitch in the games with (Francisco Alvarez), with (Luis) Torrens, get as many reps as you need with them, being able to understand them, they understand you, it’s just tough.

“Coming back from an injury, missing three months and trying to get your rhythm back, it’s a little tough.”

2026 Preview

Montas faces another long, tough road to recovery. He underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in September and the average starting pitcher takes 12 to 14 months to return from the procedure, meaning it’s unlikely he pitches in 2026. Montas has a $17 million player option for 2026, which he will surely exercise.

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