Frankie Says Relax? Not Quite – Montas Ready to Bring the Heat in Mets Debut

Let’s get one thing straight from the get-go: David Stearns signing Frankie Montas wasn’t a gamble. He was signed because the Mets believed he still had something left in the tank—and tonight, they’re finally getting a chance to turn the key. They signed him to be a difference-maker. A top-of-the-rotation horse. A guy who, if this team wants to play meaningful baseball in October, has to be more than just a nameplate in the locker room.

And tonight, at long last, he makes his first start as a New York Met.

I spoke with Frankie last night, the calm before what we all hope is a very productive storm, and asked him how it felt knowing that tomorrow—the elusive “tomorrow” that rehab assignments and MRI updates kept pushing off—was finally about to become today.

“I’m excited to help,” he told me, sounding like someone who’s been counting down the days, not for the spotlight, but for the baseball. . “Just stop looking from the outside. I’m going to have the chance to help in whatever way I can.”

Now, if you’ve spent any time watching the Mets this year , you know that the team’s playoff aspirations rest on more than Alonso, Soto, Lindor, and Edwin Díaz . They need reliable starting pitching. Full stop. No shortcuts, no miracles. And if Frankie Montas can be the guy he was in 2019 and 2021, they might just have something here.

Of course, before we get too ahead of ourselves, we have to acknowledge the past few seasons haven’t exactly been a walk through Flushing Meadows. Since posting a solid 3.37 ERA over 32 starts in 2021, Montas has been a man in search of his health. His 2023 season was basically a cameo—1.1 innings, zero earned runs, and a 2.25 WHIP that makes it look more like a trivia answer than a stat line.

But Montas is nothing if not determined.

“They didn’t sign me to pitch in the minors,” he said bluntly. “They signed me to come up here and help.”

That kind of honesty is refreshing. So is his accountability. When I brought up how tough it must’ve been mentally—signing with a new team, excited in spring, then sidelined—his response wasn’t sugar-coated.

“Not the first impression I wanted to make,” he admitted. “But I’ve been blessed. This team’s been nothing but supportive, the players, front office, training staff… They’ve made sure I had everything I needed to get back.”

And now he’s back. Healthy. Hungry. And set to face a strong lineup in a sold-out Citi Field crowd that’s hungry too, starving, actually for a postseason rotation that doesn’t rely on duct tape and prayer.

Let’s talk about what Montas brings to the bump. According to Baseball Savant, Montas uses a five-pitch mix, led by a four-seamer that averages 95.6 mph. He pairs it with a sinker, cutter, splitter, and slider,all with distinct movement profiles. His fastball spin rate and velocity are above average, and while his expected ERA sits at a wobbly 4.71, there's enough movement and life in his stuff to keep hitters honest. When he’s right, he can be downright nasty.

But here’s the catch , and every Mets fan knows there’s always a catch, the control must return. His 10.1% walk rate in 2024 is far too high. His hard-hit rate? 43.1%. Not ideal. You don’t need to be a sabermetrics savant to know that when you’re walking guys and giving up rockets, bad things tend to happen (especially in a ballpark where pop-ups sometimes land in the Home Run Apple).

Still, Montas is more than a stat sheet. He’s got a presence on the mound. He competes. And he embraces the challenge of pitching under the New York spotlight.

“I take a lot of pride in the way I pitch,” he told me. “It doesn’t matter who I’m facing—I’m going to go out there and do my best.”

Tonight’s test? A tough lineup. A packed house. A fanbase that's been burned before but still believes because that’s what we do. We follow every pitch, hang on every out, and yes, sometimes talk to the radio or TV like it can fix things. But deep down, we know that if this team is going anywhere past September, Frankie Montas will need to be not just a part of the rotation, but a pillar of it.

So no, Frankie won’t be saying “relax” anytime soon. But if things go right, he might just give us to.

Welcome to Queens, Frankie.