I can’t say that I’ve ever gotten a request for an article, but when someone gives me an excuse to write about something Yankee related, a Yankee prospect no less, I have to jump at the opportunity. Jesus Montero, for those who aren’t familiar with the young Venezuelan, is a twenty year old catching prospect and is arguably the most talented prospect the Yankees have had since Derek Jeter. Conversely, Montero is also one of the most controversial prospects in that time as well. Indeed, talent evaluators like Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus are decidedly torn about where the future lies for the 6’4 catcher. Can he stay at catcher? Is there a spot for him in the Yankees lineup with all the veteran players signed to long term deals? These answers and more remain to be seen, but what seems clear is that wherever he’ll play, Montero will hit.
It is fashionable to deride Yankee Prospects as being overrated by the media and Yankee fans, but Jesus Montero’s talent cannot be overstated. Indeed, Baseball America has recently put out their top 25 prospects in all of baseball list and they put Montero at number five. John Manuel, noted talent evaluator calls Montero “The Minors Best Hitter,” and when you look at the ridiculous numbers he’s put up while only being twenty this season it’s easy to see why. Starting in 2007, Montero made his debut in the pitcher friendly Gulf Coast League and hit .280/.366/.421 with three homes and six doubles in 33 games. Not too shabby for a 17 year old kid who’s learning to catch at a professional level, but it was the 2008 during his first full season where Montero truly distinguished himself as an elite prospect. The Yankees placed him in the South Atlantic League, a tough league for an 18 year old to handle, and he met the challenge handily, hitting .326 in 171 games and finishing in the top ten in runs scored with 86, 34 doubles, 87 RBI, and 258 total bases. In addition, Montero hit seventeen home runs, good for twelfth in the league. These are impressive numbers for any 18 year old prospect, but for an 18 year old who’s playing the demanding position of catcher is doubly impressive.
In 2009, Montero continued his hot hitting ways as he abused minor league hitters at multiple levels. Beginning the season in High-A Ball, Montero made it very easy for the Yankees to move him up quickly, hitting an insane .356/.406/.583 in 180 bats, smacking eight homes and fifteen doubles in that time. From there, Montero was moved to Double A where he continued his hot hitting as one of the youngest playing in the league posting a .317/.370/.539 batting line with another nine home runs and 33 RBIs in 44 games. Unfortunately, Montero’s season was cut short in August with a hand injury, limiting his games played last season, but it seems to have been enough for many to anoint him the best bat in the minors with considerable ease. From all accounts, the sky is the limit for Montero in the majors, and has already drawn comparisons from such other talented right handed hitters like Manny Ramirez. This seems like hyperbole, but in truth there is no other prospect or young player in the game today more poised to reach those heights as a hitter. Montero possesses a great eye at the plate, and a smooth, level swing that enables him to hit for average, but also power, and lots of it. In the scouting scale of 20 to 80, with 80 being the highest, Keith Law of ESPN and John Manuel of Baseball America put his power at 80, thanks to his quick bat and powerful frame. To be sure, as a Yankee fan there’s not much to dislike about this kid’s bat and the potential to have a perennial All-Star waiting in the wings.
Now I’m sure some of you are wondering why I said that Montero is a controversial prospect considering all the off-the charts good stats I just rattled off, but there is an area of concern for Montero for is glove. As mentioned earlier, Montero is only twenty years old and he’s already listed at 6’4 and 225 pounds, with considerable room to grow. Subsequently, there is a lot of concern within Yankee management and the talent evaluators out there that Montero simply won’t be too big to play there for any extended period. Indeed, traditionally a position where guys are small, a guy the size of Jesus’ is going to be more susceptible to wear and tear having to be in the catcher position all game for 162 games.
Further, even if Montero can handle the rigors of the position, he’s not exactly Johnny Bench back there defensively. With a long and slow throwing motion and not a whole lot of athleticism, Montero so far as proven to be a defensive liability behind the plate, so much so that there is a lot of doubt as to whether he’s even playable behind the plate. For most teams this wouldn’t be a problem, as most teams could simply slot him over at first base, but with Mark Teixeira signed for the next six years, first base isn’t really an option for Montero. From there, things get dicey as to where Jesus can fit on this team because of the plethora of old players on the Yankee roster. If the Yankees were to decide to make Jesus a full time DH, this would create problems as Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez get older and closer to forty. Neither of those guys will be able to play their current position indefinitely, and it seems likely that at least one of them will need to DH as the years go by, leaving yet another potential lineup spot for Montero filled. The answer to this quandary remains unclear, but what is clear that Cashman is going to have to get creative to fit him in somewhere soon.
No one can know for sure exactly how good Jesus Montero will be, but he’s certainly more equipped than most to succeed at a very high level in the majors. Still only twenty, Montero still has a lot of time to grow and develop as a player, and the player that he could grow into could be something very special. It’s possible that the Yankees will be unable to find a suitable spot for him and eventually trade him for major league talent as they are apt to do, but as a Yankee fan I really hope that doesn’t happen. As far as I know, the Yankees haven’t had a power hitting prospect with this much potential since maybe Mickey Mantle, and I’d hate to see him develop and flourish somewhere other than the Bronx. Hopefully Cashman feels the same way.
On a side note, if you want to submit a suggestion for me to write an article, just let me know and I’ll see if I can’t mess it up too bad. Thanks for reading.
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