How Reds' Opening Day starter Frankie Montas got himself ready to lead a rotation

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Cincinnati Reds Opening Day starter Frankie Montas has developed a different perspective on who he is as a pitcher as he coaches his 9-year-old son, Michael.

Frankie is 6-foot-2 and 255 pounds, and early in his professional career he was able to have some success just by overpowering hitters. Michael looks a lot like his dad.

“Michael got by sometimes (with his talent),” Frankie joked.

“My wife says to him, ‘Your dad knows what he’s talking about.’”

“He says, ‘I guess you’re right dad.’”

Frankie stresses the details, the mentality, the grips and the routine that it takes to be a successful starting pitcher. As Michael got older and improved, Frankie Montas also recognized something about himself.

Reds Joey Votto 'I assumed I was coming back': Joey Votto 'grateful' for Blue Jays, chance to prove himself

Reds spring training news David Bell discusses possibility of hitting Elly De La Cruz second in the order

Reds outfield moves Why under-the-radar Will Benson believes he can be 'silent assassin' for Cincinnati Reds

Montas, now 30 years old, isn’t a young pitcher anymore. He became the most experienced starting pitcher on the Reds’ staff when he signed a one-year prove-it deal with the team last January, and he immediately saw an opportunity as a veteran on a team that’s full of starting pitchers in their mid-20s. Montas spent the next two months setting an example with his attention to detail, his positivity and his ability on the mound.

That combination of talent, experience and leadership has made Montas the Reds’ Opening Day starter in 2024.

“Frankie did a great job of coming in ready to camp,” Reds manager David Bell said on Sunday as he explained the decision to name Montas the team’s Opening Day starter. “Not to separate him. All of our guys definitely did to the best of their ability. Frankie did stand out with his level of preparation when he got here. He has already become a big part of our team.”

Montas has already shown that when he’s healthy, he’s a frontline starting pitcher. Between 2018 and 2019 with the Oakland Athletics, Montas posted a 3.13 ERA. In 2021, Montas finished sixth in the AL Cy Young Award balloting. In 2022, the pitchers that every contender chased at the MLB trade deadline were Montas and Luis Castillo.

“Frankie is one of the best arms in the game,” said Reds reliever Emilio Pagán, who played with Montas in Oakland.

“When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball,” said Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who also played with Montas on the Athletics.

Before he earned this Opening Day start with the Reds, Montas had to grow as a pitcher. In 2019, he received an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. In 2022, Montas wore down due to a shoulder injury, which eventually required surgery that put him on the injured list for all but one game for the New York Yankees in 2023.

“I see a lot of kids with a lot of talent, and I see myself. A guy with a lot of talent who didn’t know how to use it,” Montas said earlier this spring. “I’m just trying to do my part. If I can tell a guy something that can help a guy improve, I’m not going to stay quiet. I’m going to try to help. That’s just me as a human. I enjoy doing that. I enjoy when guys ask me questions about pitching. That’s just me doing my part.”

As soon as Montas joined the Reds, he paid forward the tips that he learned along the way. Montas participated in the Reds caravan and immediately built a strong relationship with his teammates on the trip, including top pitching prospect Rhett Lowder.

Montas remembers how much attention pitchers like Yusmeiro Petit, Marco Estrada, Mike Fiers, Fernando Rodney and Santiago Casilla gave him when Montas was a young pitcher. He says that he was “blessed to play with those guys.” Now, Montas wants to take that role on the Reds.

“Right away, Frankie was super outgoing, funny and easy to talk to,” Lowder said. “We had that connection. I’m lucky I get to talk to him a lot.”

Montas arrived ahead of schedule in Arizona for spring training to get a head start on his preparation. The Reds’ coaching staff and front office immediately noted how he was locked in. And they noted the extra time he was taking to mentor the Reds’ young pitchers.

“I used to be a guy with a lot of talent who didn’t know how to use it. I still want to keep growing as a pitcher,” Montas said. “I don’t see myself as a guy who knows everything or is a complete product. The more I can learn, the better I’ll be.”

As Bell praised Montas’ impact, he noted how Montas has already built a relationship with Hunter Greene, who was last year’s Opening Day starter. Bell said that Greene will most likely start the second game of the season this year.

Bell said that his message to Greene was “just keep going.”“The goal is to be out there on the mound and win a World Series for us,” Bell said. “In Hunter’s case, and it could happen with Frankie, too, for several years to come. Hunter, as young as he is, he may be out there on Opening Day many times. Most importantly, the message is that Game 1 is very meaningful and important to us. Game 2 will be as well.”

The announcement marks a big week for Montas, whose son also celebrated his ninth birthday. Michael has been around the complex this spring, watching his dad find a meaningful place with his new team.

“Frankie just seems like a great teammate,” Bell said. “He’s invested. The whole group that was here for early voluntary (workouts), he took it upon himself to lead that group. He was out watching all of the (bullpens) and live (batting practices). It’s stuff that’s really important. It’s a great example.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How Opening Day starter Frankie Montas got ready to lead Reds rotation