Lázaro Montes

Lázaro Yosmel Montes

• Bats Left,. Throws Right
• Height 6' 5", Weight 210 lb.

• Born October 22, 2004 in Havana Cuba

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Lázaro Montes was signed by the Seattle Mariners as an international amateur free agent on January 15, 2022. There was little discussion at the time as to how he had left his native Cuba in order to be available for signing. In any case, he was considered a high-risk, high-reward signing, given that his huge 6'5" frame could generate tremendous power, but there was also a danger that it would all be swallowed by strikeouts, as he was very much a free swinger.

He began his career in 2022 with the DSL Mariners, hitting .284 with 10 homers and 41 RBIs in 56 games. He did strike out a lot - 74 times in 176 at-bats - but also walked 35 times. He was a mid-season All-Star in the Dominican Summer League. In 2023, he played 70 games between the ACL Mariners and Modesto Nuts of the California League and put up another impressive batting line: .303/.440/.560 with 13 homers and 61 RBIs. He was named the California League Player of the Month in August, and a Rookie-Class All-Star. In 2024, he started the season with Modesto, where he was again named the Player of the Month in May, before a promotion to the Everett AquaSox of the Northwest League on June 25th. Between the two teams, he appeared in 117 games and hit .288/.397/.484 with 21 homers and 105 RBIs. He did get his share of strikeouts - 128 - but his 74 walks reflected the fact that he actually had some pretty good strike zone judgment.

By that point, Montes had raised the interest of many other teams, and was continually discussed whenever the Mariners wanted to arrange a trade, although they made it clear that he was considered untouchable at that point. In 2025, he made it to AA thanks to another mid-season promotion, this one coming on June 24th and bringing him from Everett to the Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League. Just after that, he was selected to play in the 2025 Futures Game. His final numbers were not as good as the two previous seasons, but then again he was really young for someone playing regularly in AA. In 131 games, his slash line was .241/.354/.504, with 32 homers and 89 RBIs. Among all minor leaguers, only Ryan Ward and Spencer Jones hit more dingers. He went to spring training in 2026 as the #58 prospect in baseball according to Baseball America.