PEORIA, Ariz. — In the competition for the fifth spot in the starting rotation, Mike Montgomery is the forgotten candidate, overshadowed by frontrunners and projected favorites like left-hander James Paxton and right-hander Nathan Karns.
Montgomery may be overlooked, but he hasn’t forgotten the positives in his first season at the big league level. And it’s those early successes that are driving him forward in a race that he isn’t expected to win.
“One of my goals is just to be one of the better left-handed starters in the league,” he said. “Obviously it’s a goal that takes a lot of work and not all of it is in my control, but that’s kind of how I feel.