Frankie Montas has been a welcome shot in the arm for the A’s surprisingly solid rotation. Forced up mainly due to injury, Montas has eaten innings flawlessly for an A’s team constantly in need of arms. Can he keep it up?
Improved control and somewhat improved command
The obvious improvement for Montas so far is his control. His walk rate has plummeted from 13.2% last year (would rank second highest among starters if he qualified) to just 3.6% this year (would rank third lowest among starters). It’s not totally surprising to see the walk rate down as Montas has done well throwing strikes in the minor leagues.