Keider Montero DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Detroit Tigers right-hander Keider Montero is with the team in Milwaukee and will make the start on Wednesday at American Family Field. Nobody else in the starting rotation is hurt, but manager A.J. Hinch wants to push the rotation back a day during a 23-game, 24-day stretch of games. The 24-year-old Montero will be making his first big-league start of the year for the Tigers after going 6-6 with a 4.76 ERA (5.15 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP with 77 strikeouts and 31 walks in 19 outings (16 starts) over 98 1/3 innings in his rookie season in 2024. The Venezuelan hurler started the year off at Triple-A Toledo by giving up three earned runs on six hits while walking only one and striking out 11 in 9 2/3 inning in his two starts with the Mud Hens. Montero has high-end potential but didn't strike out that many a year ago and was unsurprisingly inconsistent. He'll be a pretty shaky fantasy streamer in Milwaukee.

According to Jason Beck of MLB.com, Detroit Tigers right-handed pitcher Keider Montero could be deployed out of the rotation and the bullpen during the 2025 season. Beck noted that while Montero will report to camp as a starter, but he may find a role in the bullpen, given the recent signing of Jack Flaherty. With Flaherty, Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson, and Alex Cobb penciled into the rotation, that leaves just one spot for Montero and several other arms, such as top prospect Jackson Jobe, Matt Manning, Casey Mize, and Kenta Maeda. Last season, Montero posted a 4.76 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP across 98 1/3 innings. He struck out 77 batters and held a modest 7.7 percent walk rate. Under the hood, he generated a poor 5.24 xERA, which suggests he may face some regression this season. Montero should only be targeted in deeper AL-only formats if given a spot start during the season.

Detroit Tigers rookie right-hander Keider Montero will take the ball for Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Wednesday at Comerica Park against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians with the series tied one game apiece. In his first MLB season in 2024, Montero went 6-6 with a 4.76 ERA (5.15 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP with 77 strikeouts and 31 walks in 98 1/3 innings pitched over 19 appearances (16 starts). His playoff debut came in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday out of the bullpen, when he tossed two scoreless innings while walking none and striking out three. Montero started against Cleveland back on July 8 in Detroit and tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings on three hits while walking one and striking out four. However, Montero hasn't started since Sept. 25 and is likely to have a very short leash in this pivotal game against the Guardians.