Jesus Montero & The Almost All-star

Once upon a time in the Yankees’ farm system, there was a thunderous bat that made scouts’ jaws drop and pitchers sweat: Jesús Montero. With the kind of raw power that drew comparisons to hitting legends like Manny Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera, Montero looked like the next big Bronx Bomber. But for all the fireworks at the plate, there was a catch—literally. His defense behind the dish was…well, let’s just say, less than gold glove-worthy. Some scouts doubted he’d stick at catcher at all, predicting his size would push him out of the squat sooner rather than later.

Still, the Yankees rolled the dice. On September 1, 2011, Montero got the call to the bigs. His first 18 games looked like a Hollywood debut: a .328 batting average, four home runs, and 28 RBIs. He burst onto the scene as a designated hitter at Fenway Park—no pressure—and soon became the first 21-year-old rookie since Manny himself to mash two home runs within his first five games. Yankees fans had stars in their eyes.

But just as quickly as the legend began, it hit a snag. With the team desperate for pitching, and Montero’s position still a question mark, the Yankees flipped their shiny new slugger to Seattle in a high-profile swap for Michael Pineda in the 2011-12 offseason. Part of the reasoning? The Yankees were already sitting on a stockpile of catching prospects like Austin Romine and a young Gary Sánchez, and Montero’s glove never quite caught up with his bat.

Unfortunately, the move to Seattle marked the beginning of Montero’s rapid unraveling. His promise dimmed under performance struggles, weight issues, and then the real kicker: PED suspensions.

The Downfall: Two Strikes, You’re Out

• Strike One (2013): Montero got a 50-game suspension for his role in the infamous Biogenesis scandal—the same Florida clinic that took down a chunk of MLB’s elite for performance-enhancing drugs.

• Strike Two (2016): He was hit with another 50-game suspension for testing positive for DMBA, a banned stimulant. At this point, the comeback trail had become a steep cliff.

By the time the dust settled, Montero had quietly played his final MLB game on October 3, 2015. Despite the fireworks early on, his career ended not with a bang, but a whimper. Official retirement came soon after—a sad, cautionary tale of potential unfulfilled and power squandered.

–Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor