Baseball America now lists the Yankees Jesus Montero as the third best overall prospect in all of minor league baseball.
Clearly, Jesus Montero, now, is the most heralded Yankees batting prospect since Nick Johnson. And,here’s what Baseball America is saying about him today:
If Montero could defend behind the plate—he threw out just eight of 64 basestealers in the high Class A Florida State (12.5 percent)—he could rank first. He has impressive barrel awareness and offensive upside for his age and experience level.
When I read about Montero now, I can’t help but to think about all the buzz around Carlos Delgado, circa 1992-1993.
Delgado, then also a catcher, like Jesus Montero today, was selected as USA Today’s Minor League Player of the Year in 1992. In fact, in March of 2003, Cubs superscout Hugh Alexander (about then 20-year-old about Carlos Delgado) said: “He’ll be the best ballplayer in baseball someday soon.”
And, like many, I feel that, by the time he’s ready for the big leagues, Jesus Montero will have to move away from catching – just like Delgado did when he became a full-time major leaguer.
Mark Teixeira is under contract with the Yankees until 2016. And, Alex Rodriguez is under contract with the Yankees until 2017. And, more than likely, Derek Jeter will sign a contract after 2010 that will keep him with the Yankees until, at least, 2015. So, the Yankees will have three somewhat older guys on their team that could block Montero at first base or designated hitter for years to come…
So, maybe Jesus Montero will end up getting traded by the Yankees for the next Dale Murray, Ken Phelps or Javier Vazquez? What do you think?
18 Responses to “Jesus Montero New Yanks ”Family Jewel””
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July 10th, 2009 at 12:29 am
Left field is what I think.
July 10th, 2009 at 1:07 am
I think that if there is a negative way to look at something, you’ll find it.
July 10th, 2009 at 1:45 am
Shudder to think that…
Way to pour some cold water…
But we do have Romine, Higoshiaka, Sanchez in the pipe line… so i guess we wont be too barren there…
July 10th, 2009 at 1:55 am
If they want to keep him, they’ll find a way to get him into the lineup.
July 10th, 2009 at 5:38 am
Not left field, which is not only a ton of ground to cover, but the most murderous sun field.
Right field, if he has the athleticisim for it. On the other hand…
=========================
Would you believe….Roy Halladay?
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July 10th, 2009 at 5:55 am
The plan is to keep him as catcher until he proves he cannot succeed there at the major league level. The hope is that he can be a Mike Piazza type — a bat so good it overshadows the defensive weaknesses. If that fails, plan B is to make him an outfielder, likely right field because catchers usually have strong arms. There is still plenty of time for this to play out.
July 10th, 2009 at 8:00 am
While he may be better defensively then Montero, Posada isn’t exactly GG material behind the plate. Yet for some crazy reason… there he is, behind the plate. Scout says it all. If Montero can’t hack catching, he may still be golden in the OF. But behind the plate, he’s a diamond.
Piazza was considered the best C in the game, and his D was as bad as you can allow. If Montero starts lifting weights, his time as a C is limited. If he does Yoga and other persuasions to stretch, he may be able to stay behind the plate.
July 10th, 2009 at 8:30 am
how about he actually stays behind the plate??
July 10th, 2009 at 9:15 am
I can not share this as fact, or even a personal observation – because I didn’t watch him play enough – but I have seen reports/opinion that offer Piazza was good at catching/framing/blocking and very good at game calling – and his one issue was that he just could not throw runners out.
On the other hand, I have also seen reports, etc., that suggest Montero is too big (meaning bulky) and slow behind the plate and has slow actions, etc. – and that it’s just not his throwing that is the issue.
Then again, I’ve also seen reports in the past, as well as declarations from many Yankees fans, that said J.B. Cox was going to be the lights-out closer who was going to one day take over in the Bronx for Mariano Rivera.
So, as we have learned in the past, it’s all just wait and see with Jesus Montero – whether he catches, or not, or, even makes the majors…and anyone who suggests anything about him, good or bad, is just expressing their opinion/hope – because we, meaning everyone, just don’t know, for sure, now…how could we?
July 10th, 2009 at 9:17 am
ya know when you said since nick johnson, I was like …I don’t remember him hitting THAT good in the minors, but lo and behold he was a monster. Check out Nick’s lines for his AA season when he was 20: 345/.525/.548/1.073 That’s right. His OBP was .525 (!)
July 10th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Yes, back in the day, there was a time when Nick Johnson was considered one of the ten best prospects IN ALL OF BASEBALL by many accepted sources.
July 10th, 2009 at 9:29 am
you know what i find funny about montero? everyone talks about how he’s hitting so well at AA so fast and how he’s doing it all in a pitchers park. Well thats a farce. Here’s his line at home:
.220/.258/.322/.580 with 1 homer and 5 ribbies in 59 ab
July 10th, 2009 at 9:30 am
for comparisons sake here’s is away slash stats:
.370/.453/.674/1.127 w/ 4 homers 10 ribbies
July 10th, 2009 at 10:03 am
FWIW, I think that Tiger Woods might have issues trying to hit a golf ball out of Trenton. It’s not as big as Citi Field – I think it has more to do with the river and winds, etc.
July 10th, 2009 at 10:13 am
it wasn’t meant to knock montero, as i have a prospect crush on him, just pointing it out is all
July 10th, 2009 at 10:27 am
WRT Delgado, I seem to remember hearing about him hurting his throwing shoulder. This was in conversation many years ago, and I can’t find much on the injury if it happened. But he was a FT catcher in AAA, as well as winter ball when the organization moved him from behind the plate. And that didn’t happen until his 7th year as a pro.
Will Montero last behind the plate? Who knows? But given his offensive potential, the organization will give him every opportunity to fail.
July 10th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Yeah, I remember that season in Norwich. Then he had some sort of wrist injury then it was downhill from there. And he STILL can’t stay healthy.
July 10th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Corey wrote:
I didn’t take it as a knock. (I’m not that type of person – who thinks people who state facts are negative all the time.) More so, I thought it was an astute observation. Good job.