The M's power-hitting outfielder has been excellent this season across Double-A and Triple-A.
At the start of a new series on Tuesday night, Seattle Mariners prospect Lazaro Montes will continue to chase history on the minor league front.
Montes, who has spent time at both Double-A and Triple-A this season, has 37 home runs and 93 RBIs to go along with a .252 batting average and a .369 on-base percentage.
As noted by the popular @MiLBMariners social media account, the record for minor league home runs in a season by a Mariners prospect in 43 by Danny Tartabull in 1985.
Montes has 25 games left to go and plays in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League (PCL), so there's reason to believe he can catch Tartabull.
The question remains, why is Montes not up in the big leagues and helping the Mariners chase a playoff berth?
Let's take a look at the situation:
The Rule-5 predicament
So, as we've talked about before, the labor situation complicates things for 2027.
In the case of Ryan Sloan, I don't think he'll be brought up this season. Why? Because if Major League Baseball misses games in 2027, no one on a 40-man roster can play in Minor League Baseball. If Sloan gets brought up this year, he will be unable to play in the minors in 2027, which will be harmful to his development.
The case for Montes is different: He has to be put on the 40-man roster this offseason, or risk being exposed to the Rule-5 Draft. Therefore, he won't be playing in the minors next year no matter what, so the team has no tangible benefit of holding him back this year.
If they want him to come up, they can.
What about the offensive profile?
Montes hits a lot of home runs, and he could probably run into some for the Mariners too, but the strikeout rate is extensive. He's fanning 30.1 percent of the time at Triple-A, after he fanned 30.4 percent of the time at Double-A.
If you're whiffing that much in the minors, what will happen when you get to the majors? It will be worse. Just ask Colt Emerson.
What about the positional redundancy?
Montes is not seen as a great defensive outfielder, though he does have a great throwing arm. Who does that sound like? Exactly like Dominic Canzone.
The Mariners already have Canzone, and Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena cemented in the outfield. With injuries to Luke Raley, Emerson and Brendan Donovan, the DH position isn't as crowded as it once was, so there is room for Montes - in theory, but that could change if Donovan is able to come back quickly from the concussion IL.
JP Crawford is approaching a return as well, which will complicate matters from a roster perspective.
The Mariners do have the ability to bring up another position player on Sept. 1, which might be the last best chance for Montes to make an impact this season.
The Mariners are back in action on Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies. They trail the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers by three games in the AL West.
