Jesús Montero, the previous Yankees catcher who was as soon as one in every of baseball’s high prospects, has died at age 35, the Venezuelan Skilled Baseball League introduced.
Montero was reportedly injured in a motorbike accident on Oct. 4 and had been hospitalized in vital situation, officers stated.
“The Yankees are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jesús Montero,” the Yankees stated in a press release Sunday. “We send our sincerest condolences to his family & loved ones.”
Montero was MLB’s No. 9 prospect in 2011, the season during which he made his big-league debut with the Yankees as a 21-year-old.
The Venezuelan-born Montero hit .328 with 4 house runs in 18 video games with the Yankees that season, then was traded the next winter to the Seattle Mariners in a deal for right-hander Michael Pineda.
On the time, Yankees normal supervisor Brian Cashman stated Montero “may well be the best player I’ve ever traded.”
Montero spent 4 seasons with the Mariners from 2012-15 and set profession highs with 15 homers and 62 RBI in 2012.
He additionally hung out within the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles’ minor-league techniques, and he served a suspension with the latter after violating MLB’s performance-enhancing drug coverage.
In 5 MLB seasons, Montero hit .253 with 28 house runs over 226 video games.
Montero continued to play professionally abroad earlier than retiring after the Venezuelan Winter League’s 2020-21 season.
“We join the baseball community in mourning the passing of former Major League player Jesús Montero,” MLB stated in a press release.
