4 words every NY Mets fan had on their minds after Frankie Montas' impressive debut

On a historically hot night at Citi Field, the New York Mets finally got to see free agent acquisition Frankie Montas take the mound. After missing the first three months of the season with a high-grade lat strain, fans were anxious to see what he could do. While conditions were less than ideal, Montas dazzled, going five innings, giving up no runs, three hits, three walks, and striking out five—a much-needed sight to fans who have watched a lot of bad baseball as of late.

While the bullpen was unable to get Montas a win, giving up seven runs and falling 7-4, it was a positive sign. It's a sign that reinforcements are on the way, and there can be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Four words we were all thinking after Frankie Montas' Mets debut: Rehab stats don't matter

Coming into today's start, there was a lot of concern surrounding Montas. While he has a decent track record in the MLB, his rehab stats tell a different story. In six rehab starts, across the Mets system, he pitched to a 12.05 ERA over 18 2/3 innings with 12 strikeouts, 10 walks, and a WHIP of 2.04. It's hard to imagine a rehab start going much worse than this. Many thought that Montas was washed, and this was going to be another bad signing for the Mets.

However, tonight's performance shows that you can not judge a pitcher based on their rehab starts. While it's strange to see a pitcher who spent nine years in the bigs struggle against guys who are just starting their MLB journey, it's just one of the many unique quirks of baseball.

The reason Montas had so much success tonight was due to the effectiveness of his four-seamer. It was the pitch he relied on the most tonight, throwing it 33.8% of the time. This pitch left Braves hitters baffled, having a 50% chase rate and a 50% whiff rate. Braves hitters were not even able to make contact with the pitch.

While it's a small sample size, this was a start the Mets were in desperate need of. Over the last week and a half, Mets starters have struggled. Their starters have combined to throw 41 2/3 innings, giving up 32 runs, 27 of which were earned, 43 hits, 28 walks, and striking out 33. The only time a starter has gone past seven innings was on June 17th when David Peterson went seven innings. These struggles have caused the bullpen to become overworked, resulting in significant regression.

If Montas is able to repeat the success he had against the Braves and get deeper into games, it gives the Mets another starter they can rely on. With guys like Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea on the injured list, their depth has been pushed to its limit. Montas can bring stability and allow the Mets to trust their starters more. It may be too early to say, but Montas could be the answer to how the Mets solve their pitching problems.