roto rage Jarad Wilk Fantasy baseball: Mason Montgomery leads widely available bullpen arms By Jarad Wilk Published Aug. 22, 2026, 4:38 p.m. ET Mason Montgomery #46 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the ninth inning during the game against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park on August 18, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Getty Images The Pirates acquired Luke Weaver from the Mets at the trade deadline presumably to take the ninth-inning gig from the closer-by-committee grouping of Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery.
It was supposed to be a big boost to Weaver’s fantasy baseball value. (Key words: Supposed to be.) It has not been, as he entered Friday without even a save opportunity in his first four appearances.
Since Weaver’s arrival in Pittsburgh, Montgomery is the only pitcher who has recorded a save — and he has looked good doing it. The lefty is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, three saves, a 65 percent strikeout rate, .150 opponents’ average and an insane 25.3 percent swinging-strike rate in his first six outings this month.
Montgomery, who owns a 3.40 ERA (2.52 xERA) and 39 percent strikeout rate for the season, may not be racking up saves but that doesn’t make his production any less valuable — especially when he has been one of the most dominant relievers over the past two-plus months.
