Mariners to Promote Top Prospect Lazaro Montes for MLB Debut
The Seattle Mariners are set to promote Lazaro Montes, Just Baseball's No. 92 prospect, to make his MLB debut.
Originally brought to the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent signing back in 2022, Lazaro Montes has done absolutely nothing but mash since the moment his professional career began.
Now 21 years of age and currently Just Baseball’s No. 92 prospect, Montes had no issues making quick work of opposing pitchers at both the Double- and Triple-A levels this season. He had a 143 wRC+ in 79 Double-A games before moving up an sporting a 129 in 44 Triple-A contests. He started walking less and striking out more after the promotion, but each category in his triple-slash line improved after the move up, a welcome sign.
As first reported on Monday evening by Francys Romero, Montes is being promoted to the Mariners to make his highly anticipated MLB debut. As of now, the move has yet to be made official, and the Mariners are going to need to make a move to clear a spot on their 40-man roster. With rosters expanding on Tuesday, a spot won’t need to be opened on the active roster.
Once Montes officially takes the field for the first time, he will be just the 14th player this year aged 21 or younger to make an appearance. As is the case with all other players around his age, you only make it to the big leagues so young when the talent you possess is legitimate.
Will Montes hit the ground running and immediately become a superstar? Maybe not; sometimes these things take a little bit to play out. But at the very least, Mariners fans are going to get an opportunity to see a player that should fit nicely into the cleanup spot in their team’s lineup for many, many years to come.
What Lazaro Montes Brings to the Mariners
It’s simple: power.
All throughout Montes’ professional career, he’s done nothing but rake. Here’s a look at his home run count in each year since he first debuted in 2022:
- 2022: 10 HR in 55 G
- 2023: 13 HR in 70 G
- 2024: 21 HR in 116 G
- 2025: 32 HR in 131 G
- 2026: 38 HR in 123 G
Strikeouts are a significant part of Montes’ game, but he’s a legitimate run producer who has some light-tower-power. It’s true that he’s set to face much better pitching than he had on his ascent up the minor league ladder, but it’s impossible to ignore that his 38 home runs would be tied for second in the majors this year, and his .309 ISO would comfortably top the charts.
Montes pairs his raw power with considerable gap power as well, and he does an efficient job at drawing his fair share of walks to at least make a dent in the alarming amount of strikeouts he racks up. His 30.6 K% would have him 10th in the majors but his power can easily get up to that 40-HR mark in the near future, and that’s where his value lies.
Defensively, he’s exclusively a corner outfielder and he has at the very least gotten better out there as he’s aged. Spending nearly every inning of his pro career in right field, Montes has an improved throwing arm this year and should at least be an average defender as he matures and gets acclimated to the game’s highest level.
Currently, the Mariners have Dominic Canzone and Taylor Ward splitting DH and right field duties, but it’s not difficult to see where Montes fits in. Canzone has a 131 wRC+ on the year but that’s dipped down to 109 in the second half.
Ward, the Mariners’ biggest trade deadline add this year, has the sixth-lowest wRC+ (53) in the second half.
Montes certainly has the potential to come in here and at the very least represent an improvement over what Seattle’s currently working with.
Lazaro Montes Scouting Report
For more on Montes and what fans can expect from him in the final month of the 2026 regular season, check out Aram’s scouting report on the Mariners’ shiny new slugger:
Height/Weight: 6’4″, 250 | Bat/Throw: L/R | IFA: $2.5M – 2022 (SEA) | ETA: 2027
| HIT | Plate Disc. | GAME POWER | RUN | FIELD | FV |
| 30/30 | 50/55 | 60/70 | 30/30 | 35/40 | 50 |
An imposing figure with as much raw power as you’re going to see from a teenage hitter, Montes has 40 home run upside, but swing and miss concerns and limited defense put plenty of pressure on him to reach close to that power plateau.
Offense
A gargantuan human, Montes towers at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, easily producing elite exit velocities as a teenager. Starting with a wide stance, Montes utilizes a big leg kick and barrel tip that when paired with his long levers can result in plenty of whiff. He also offers some of the best raw power in the Minor Leagues with a 90th percentile exit velocity north of 109 MPH with a max north of 118 MPH.
His contact rate has hovered around 60% at the upper levels which is about the barrier to entry at the MLB level, meaning Montes has almost no margin for error. His swing decisions have improved which helps his case and he is still just 21 years old, giving him time to even marginally improve bat to ball wise. When it’s top of the scale raw power, every little bit matters in the contact department.
There’s real risk Montes won’t hit enough, but his 40 homer upside makes him worth the roll of the dice.
Defense/Speed
Montes has worked hard on his agility and reads in the outfield, which in turn has at least placed him on a path to being passable in a corner. His arm has pushed north of average territory and he has drastically improved his ability to attack balls and make throws.
Outlook
If it all were to come together, Montes has the power to be a Kyle Schwarber-adjacent slugger, but Schwarber’s contact rates hover roughly 10% higher against MLB pitching. With Montes likely to only whiff more at the highest level, there will need to be some progress made in the bat to ball department, which is difficult for a player of his archetype. A Matt Wallner type of outcome seems more likely, but the pipe dream of the power ceiling, age and track record of at least consistently getting into his power at each stop makes him worth the gamble.
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Written by
Eric Treuden (troy-din) is one of Just Baseball's Managing Editors and Facebook manager. After previous stops at FanSided's news desk, Yardbarker, and Jays Journal, he has…