Last offseason, the Pirates made a big three-team deal that netted them Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum, and Mason Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Rays. While Lowe was the headliner, becoming the Pirates’ best offensive player, Montgomery became perhaps the even bigger acquisition for Pittsburgh’s future.

Montgomery was a talented lefty reliever with the Rays who hadn’t shown consistency in Tampa Bay, but that improved a ton in 2026. Over the course of the season, Montgomery went from inconsistent to dominant, even finding himself closing out games for Pittsburgh by the end of the year.

At 26 years old, Montgomery represents an important piece for the Pirates’ future, especially if he can build off the end of the season. While Pittsburgh needs to address certain holes in the roster, the team hopes that Montgomery’s emergence takes a need off the board.

Here’s a look back at Montgomery’s 2026 performance.

Pirates Year in Review 2026: Mason Montgomery

The Pirates acquired Mason Montgomery in the offseason to boost their bullpen, and the lefty slowly got better over the course of the season. Montgomery opened the season as an option against lefties but became the team’s closer in the second half of the season.

In the first half, Montgomery produced a 4.14 ERA, a number that represented his inconsistencies as a young reliever. However, Montgomery’s improvements in the second half showed with his 1.42 ERA in 31.2 innings as he cut down on his walks while increasing his strikeout rate.

From July 27 to September 26, Montgomery totaled a 25-inning scoreless streak, which represented the best stretch of his young career. The lefty was even named the NL Reliever of the Month for September, showing how dominant he actually was.

Your AL and NL Relievers of the Month for September: Cade Smith: 13.0 IP, 21 Ks, 0.00 ERA, 6 saves Mason Montgomery: 13.0 IP, 16 Ks, 2.08 ERA, 11 saves https://t.co/zBw0JArvzP

— MLB (@MLB) September 29, 2026

Thanks to Montgomery’s strong finish to the season, the Pirates can feel like they have a closer of the future as it approaches the offseason in the Winter.

Mason Montgomery’s Most Memorable Moment

Montgomery was among the best relievers in baseball in the second half, not allowing a single run in the month of August as his scoreless streak extended to two months from July to September. His most memorable moment, therefore, was the final clean appearance in the middle of that streak.

On September 24, Montgomery took the hill to try and protect a 2-1 lead against the St. Louis Cardinals in the Pirates’ final game at PNC Park. Montgomery went on to strike out the side in 17 pitches, which put him at 100 strikeouts on the season, shutting the door and preserving the win.

Monty strikes out the side to earn his 💯th K of the season! 🔥 https://t.co/kjG3xbuMEC

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 24, 2026

After the game, Montgomery addressed what it meant to him to secure the Pirates’ closer role and to job out of the home bullpen for the final time.

Mason Montgomery bids farewell to PNC Park for the final time in 2026 ❤️ https://t.co/BBl6MKbWwn

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) September 24, 2026

Montgomery was dominant in many outings in the second half, but his performance in this game was a big confidence-booster entering the offseason.

Mason Montgomery Stats for 2026 SeasonGamesInningsERAWHIPSavesStrikeoutsWalksbWARfWAR7068.22.881.03418105262.42.0

Montgomery’s first season with the Pirates was a success, as the reliever broke out to become Pittsburgh’s best reliever by the end of the season. Montgomery put up career-high numbers across the board, throwing 68.2 innings while producing an ERA under 3.00 in his second full season.

Most of Montgomery’s best production came in the final two months, when he found his groove despite the Pirates falling out of playoff contention. All of Montgomery’s 18 saves came after July 1, while Montgomery collected 11 of those saves in September.

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