It was a bit of a head scratcher when the Tigers acquired Chris Paddack at the deadline. Granted, Detroit needed pitching help and picking up Charlie Morton was another piece to the puzzle of “Pitching Chaos” 2.0, but standing down in Toledo was Keider Montero.Paddack’s move to the bullpen was made out of necessity, but the first results spoke for themselves: 1.1 innings, eight hits, and six earned runs. As a fly-ball pitcher facing a lineup like the Mets, he was teed off on.
So why isn’t Montero, who came up huge last August and September, currently with Detroit?
The answer lies in a mix of pitch regression, diminished swing-and-miss ability, and uneven Triple-A results since his July option. While the Tigers could use rotation stability, Montero hasn’t given them the kind of “can’t-ignore” production that forces a recall.
(data from Baseball Savant from his time in big leagues and August 2025 data from Toledo)
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERA / WHIP | 4.76 / 1.33 | 4.66 / 1.43 | More baserunners despite ERA holding |
| Whiff% | 21.5% | 18.8% | ↓ Miss rate |
| Zone Contact% | 84.7% | 88.1% | ↑ Hitters making more contact |
| Four-seam Velo | 94.7 mph | 93.9 mph | ↓ 0.8 mph |
| Four-seam Results | .248 BA, 0 run value | .310 BA, -3 run value | Heater getting hit |
| Slider Results | .235 BA, -1 run value | .299 BA, -7 run value | Lost bite, big damage |
| Changeup Results | .196 BA, neutral | .184 BA, neutral | Still a weapon |
| AAA since July 26 | N/A | 5.91 ERA (42.2 IP), 5 games, 319 pitches, 20 hits, 2 HRs, 19 K, 30 whiffs | Inconsistent, too much contact |
What we are looking at here? The fastball/slider combo that carried him in late 2024 has slipped, and hitters are punishing mistakes. Until that pitch shape returns, Detroit will keep him in the “depth” bucket rather than a locked-in rotation piece.
Toledo August 2025 Performance
Overall (Statcast-tracked):
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30 whiffs (9% whiff rate, below MLB average)
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85 balls in play
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20 hits allowed, 2 HRs
Pitch-by-pitch breakdown:
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Four-seam fastball (93.8 mph): 111 pitches, 5 whiffs, 6 hits, 1 HR. Not fooling hitters.
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Slider (84.1 mph): 75 pitches, 12 whiffs, but also 8 hits and 1 HR on 26 balls in play. His swing-and-miss pitch, but it’s also the damage pitch.
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Changeup (86.6 mph): 38 pitches, 6 whiffs, only 1 hit allowed. Quietly his most effective pitch this month.
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Curveball & sinker: Used sparingly; occasional whiffs and grounders, but not enough to change his profile.
In plain English: Montero is still striking batters out, but too many pitches are being put in play, and too many of those are turning into damage, especially off the slider.
Detroit is searching for answers internally. Skubal remains the lone steady presence, while Paddack’s bullpen move has already backfired. The Tigers have leaned on depth arms, with Troy Melton answering the call so far, but Montero hasn’t forced their hand. His Triple-A performance is uneven, and his arsenal is too hittable right now.
Adding to the uncertainty, Sawyer Gipson-Long’s start last night didn’t inspire confidence either. Between him and Montero, they are the only starters above Double-A on the 40-man roster with any real experience, leaving Detroit without a clear in-house fix.
There is still a big league arm there
Keider Montero still has the ingredients, a mid-90s fastball, a whiff-capable slider, and a changeup that can neutralize hitters. But until the slider regains that sharp bite and the four-seam stops getting punished, he remains more of a depth option than a solution.
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Chris Brown 
Jerry McKennan