Mets starting pitcher Rafael Montero didn't have the lights out MLB debut many of us were hoping for, but he still put in a pretty good effort Wednesday against a good offensive team in the Yankees.
Perhaps the most disappointing stat was the two home runs he allowed in six innings. He allowed all of 19 home runs over 390 innings in the minors. Though, I'm not overly concerned about that after one start. If he continues to give up home runs, then it will be time to worry.
But nothing really surprised me watching Montero pitch Wednesday. He threw strikes and kept the ball low in the strike zone. He also didn't have a problem throwing inside fastballs, which was a reputation he built in the minors.
Montero only recorded three strikeouts Wednesday, but in his defense the Yankees did a great job fighting off pitches. The Yankees fouled off 39.7 percent of the strikes Montero threw, according to Baseball-Reference.com.
I still believe Montero is a good investment in deep mixed leagues as a back-of-the-rotation arm. Montero has debuted on my starting pitcher rankings at No. 81.