Mason Jack Montgomery...Wife’s name is Madison...Is a 2018 graduate of Leander (Texas) High School (he earned All-Central Texas Baseball Team honors in 2017)…Attended Texas Tech University (2019-21), where he went 11-5 and had 128 strikeouts over his three seasons...His father, Bobby, played at Howard Payne (Texas) College...Was signed by Rays scout Pat Murphy.
2025
Made his first career Opening Day roster...Secured his first Major League save by recording the final out on 5/13 at Toronto (Daulton Varsho, flyout)...Earned his first Major League win with 1.0 scoreless inning of relief on 6/18 vs. Baltimore...Was optioned to Durham (Rays’ Triple-A) on 7/7...Posted a 1.80 ERA (5.0 IP/1 ER), seven strikeouts and a 0.80 WHIP across five appearances with the Bulls from 7/9-22 before being recalled on 7/25...Had a 2.89 ERA (9.1 IP/4 R/3 ER) and 13 strikeouts over 10 August appearances...Was optioned back to Durham, where he remained for the rest of the season, on 9/11...Recorded a 2.25 ERA (4.0 IP/1 ER), eight strikeouts, a .143 batting average against and a 0.75 WHIP over four outings from 9/13-20 to end the season...His 63 strikeouts with the Rays were the fourth-most among all left-handed rookie relief pitchers in Major League Baseball (they were also the 11th-most among all rookie relievers in MLB).
2024
Recorded a 1.86 ERA (9.2IP, 2ER) and 17 SO over nine appearances in his first career Major League action…opened the season with Triple-A Durham, making 31 appearances (14GS) before his contract was selected on Sept. 5…began transitioning to a relief role in May after his first nine outings with the Bulls came as a starter...Averaged 97.3 mph on his four-seam fastball… min. 100 fastballs thrown, it signaled the third-fastest mark on any AL left-handed pitcher’s heater behind CWS Garrett Crochet’s cutter (97.9) and BAL Gregory Soto’s four-seamer (97.6)...Struck out 17 of 37 batters faced (45.9%), including seven of 14 left-handed hitters, and generated a 47.0 pct. whiff rate…min. 50 swings, it marked the highest whiff rate in the majors...Added to the Major League roster on Sept. 5 and made his MLB debut that night vs. MIN (1.0IP, 0H, 1BB, 1SO)…fanned José Miranda for his first career strikeout...Became the second reliever in club history to hold opponents hitless across their first four career appearances, joining Jake McGee (6G, 2010)…was one of four MLB rookies to accomplish the feat in 2024 along with CLE Andrew Walters (8G), TEX Cole Winn (5G) and MIA Lake Bachar (4G)...On Sept. 24 at DET, became the first reliever in Rays history to throw at least two frames and strike out every batter faced…was the 16th pitcher in MLB history to accomplish the feat and first since MIA Anthony Bender on July 2, 2021 at ATL…Bender and Montgomery are the only MLB rookies to turn the trick since 2007...Made 31 appearances (14GS) with Triple-A Durham, going 1-7 with a 6.26 ERA (87.2IP, 61ER)…went 1-0 with a 2.67 ERA (30.1IP, 9ER) and 46 SO in his 17 relief appearances for the Bulls...Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 24 prospect in the Rays system following the season.
2023
Made 29 starts between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham, going 7-4 with a 3.98 ERA (124.1IP, 55ER)…ranked among Rays minor leaguers in starts (1st), strikeouts (T1st, 144), innings (2nd), opponent avg. (3rd, .225), ERA (6th) and WHIP (6th, 1.33)…was named the Rays Minor League Co-Pitcher of the Month and Southern League Pitcher of the Month for June, going 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA (26.0IP, 6ER) and 31 strikeouts across five starts…named to the Rays Organizational All-Star Team by MLB.com.
2022
Named Minor League Pitcher of the Year by the Rays Baseball Operations department, going 6-3 with a 2.10 ERA (124-IP, 29-ER) and 171 SO in 27 starts between Class-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery…led Rays Minor Leaguers in ERA, strikeouts and opp. avg. (.196), ranked second in starts and innings and third in WHIP (1.06)…the 171 SO ranked sixth in the Minors and tied for ninth for a Rays minor leaguer in franchise history…named the Rays Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June, going 1-0 with a 1.66 ERA (21.2-IP, 4-ER) and 37 SO…at the time of his July 12 promotion to Montgomery, ranked among South Atlantic League leaders in ERA (1.81, first), strikeouts (118, first), WHIP (1.09, second) and opp. avg. (.194, second)…in 11 starts for the Biscuits, yielded three runs (or fewer) in each outing, and ended the season on a streak of five starts of allowing one run or fewer…ranked by Baseball America as the No. 9 prospect in the Rays system following the season.
