Lenny Montesano is a hard-nosed player who was born and raised in the Bronx. Growing up in the city taught the 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-hander a great deal about both the game of baseball and the game of life. Montesano, 23, inherited his passion for baseball from his parents, who are from the Dominican Republic. Montesano spoke to World Baseball Network about his journey in an interview last week.
“It’s an absolute blessing that my dad played at George Washington High School, and I heard a lot of Manny Ramirez stories,” Montesano said. “I met a lot of my dad’s friends who told me how hard it was to play, and they set a standard.”
Montesano moved to Miami to play high school baseball at Brito Miami Private School because he always felt that was the right thing to do in his heart. He went on to play baseball year-round and compete against recruits who would go on to play at NCAA Division I colleges and universities such as Florida and Miami.
Although he moved south, Montesano still credits New York for shaping him into the ballplayer and man he is today.
“I am incredibly grateful to have been raised in New York City,” Montesano said. “There’s nothing I haven’t been through, and there were a lot of hard times. It’s the concrete jungle. You’ve got to get it out of the mud. Whether it’s running up hills when it’s 25 degrees outside or hitting through a sock net in my apartment.”
He started his college career at Harford Community College, then played at Jackson State and East Tennessee State University.
“Each year played a role and a purpose in my career.” Montesano said, “Hartford did a great job in showing me how to have fun and become the best version of myself. Jackson developed me into tuning in and maturing and (having) a very disciplined approach in ways to play the game right since it was Division I.”
Montesano credits Jackson State head coach Omar Johnson with helping advance his speed, base running instincts, endurance and learning how to bunt. In 2024, Jackson State almost made the Division I College Baseball Tournament, but lost the SWAC Conference Championship finals 6-5 on a walk-off against Grambling.
His numbers at Jackson State in 2024 were 11 home runs, 58 RBIs and a slash line of .336/.390/.577 in 220 at-bats. He got fewer at-bats at East Tennessee State in 2025 but still produced nine home runs, 28 RBIs and an OPS of 1.044 in 114 at-bats.
Montesano has split time at first base and third base throughout his career. This summer, he is playing for the Oneonta Outlaws in the Perfect Game Collegiate League. This new experience has been beneficial for his development, as Montesano has been experimenting with his approach and swing during this time.
“I’m going out there and working on stuff and trying new things because it’s not about the results, it’s about the process in Oneonta,” Montesano said. “The vibes remind me of the inner city because it’s laid back and everyone is here to have fun. It’s the best competition I’ve played with because you have players of all different levels here.”
Off the field, Lenny Montesano has a young daughter, and he hopes his family will get some good news by hearing his name called in this year’s MLB Draft on either July 13 or July 14 in Atlanta.
WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo: @LennyScoops on Instagram
