Mason Montgomery is Pirates breakout star for 2026

Montgomery made 70 appearances for the Pirates this season, recording a 6-4 record with a 2.88 ERA and 68.2 innings pitched. His efforts made him the biggest surprise of the year, according to Bleacher Report writer Joel Reuter.

"The Pirates acquired Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Montgomery from the Rays last offseason in a three-team, six-player deal that sent Mike Burrows to the Astros. Montgomery pitched to a 5.67 ERA in 57 games as a rookie in 2025, but his 12.3 K/9 spoke to the quality of his stuff. A year later, he was one of the most overpowering bullpen arms in baseball, pitching his way into the closer's role while setting a franchise record with 25 straight scoreless appearances," Reuter wrote.

The trade turned out to be a massive win for the Pirates, who sent Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros in a three-team deal. Burrows was strong with the Pirates in 2025, but he struggled with the Astros in 2026, recording a 5.99 ERA in 17 starts with Houston. It's clear the Pirates were on the right end of the deal with Montgomery alone, but Lowe and Mangum also each played over 130 games each for the Buccos.