Former New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners catcher Jesús Montero has died at 35, according to the New York Post’s Ronny Reyes. Montero reportedly collided with a pickup truck while riding his motorcycle in Valencia on Oct. 4.
He had been in a coma before his death on Sunday. According to El Nacional, he suffered a punctured lung, six broken ribs, multiple fractures to his extremities, femur, tibia, and fibula, as well as hip and knee injuries. Montero was the New York Yankees’ No. 1 prospect in 2011. The catcher was ranked higher in the Yankees’ farm system than Gary Sánchez at the time. He made his debut in 2011, playing 18 games for the Yankees.
However, the following offseason, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners in a deal that sent right-handed pitchers Michael Pineda and Jose Campos to the Yankees. Montero played four more seasons in the big leagues, all for the Mariners.
He also played in the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional until 2021. He spent one season with the Navegantes del Magallanes, four seasons with the Cardenales de Lara and two seasons with the Aguilas de Zulia. Montero made a much bigger impact in the LVBP than he did on the MLB stage. In 227 games in Venezuela, he had a .305/.360/.420 slash line. He collected 150 RBIs and 258 hits in that span. He made his LVBP debut in the 2009 season with the Navegantes, while he was still an MLB prospect, returning to the league in the 2013 season and playing 22 games with the Cardenales with one home run, had 13 RBIs and held a .279 average.
After another hiatus from winter ball, he returned to the Cardenales in the 2016 season. He played 61 games, hitting .338 with an .861 OPS. He hit seven home runs and had 46 RBIs. However, the Cardenales fell short in the championship, losing to the Aguilas. His OPS, home runs and RBIs all ranked in the top 10 among players that season. In 2017, he played well for the Cardenales. He once again was among league leaders in most offensive metrics.
However, the Cardenales would lose in the championship again. He began the 2018 season with the Cardenales, but was traded to Aguilas after 14 games. At the time, he was hitting .316. While he finished the year with the Aguilas, the Cardenales finally broke through and won the championship. Montero played one more season for the Aguilas, but has not played in the LVBP since.
While he may not have made a huge impact in MLB, the Guacara, Venezuela native found success in LVBP.
Photo: Seattle Mariners’ Jesus Montero flips a baseball before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox during a baseball game on Aug. 22, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
