Mariners should be on the fence about Lazaro Montes even after homer-fueled May

As has been the case throughout the Jerry Dipoto era in Seattle, the Mariners continue to have a marvelous farm system. The likes of Kade Anderson, Ryan Sloan, Felnin Celesten and Lazaro Montes are all coming off tremendous Mays. Of the quartet though, Montes seems to be the prospect most shrouded in uncertainty about his future with the organization.

This uncertainty does not take away from the fact Montes is coming off a month where his nine home runs for Double-A Arkansas were the most by any prospect in the M's farm system. He made such a positive impression, that ESPN's Kiley McDaniel singled him out as a riser in his monthly update of the top 10 prospects for all 30 Major League teams. McDaniel raved about his power and said it's nearly time for a move up to Triple-A Tacoma, albeit in part due to this being his Rule 5 protection year.

However, as much as Montes is a monster at the plate, this is not exactly new information for the Mariners and their fanbase. After all, we're talking about someone who has been named the organization's Minor League Hitter of the Year for the past two seasons. No, this is more about what else he can do -- or more to the point, not do?

Look past the impressive haul of nine home runs (and 24 RBI) in 26 games, and it's almost a case of all or nothing with Montes. Despite the fireworks, he still only batted .204 during May and had a 28.3 strikeout rate, resulting in just a .310 OBP. For the season as a whole he's hitting .211, with a 29.6 strikeout rate and .325 OBP in 49 games.

Lazaro Montes is a one-trick pony who the Mariners need to determine how to best utilize

We promise this isn't about attempting to rain on the parade of a player who has a .794 OPS and 120 wRC+ this season. However, Montes' brutal power can only help so much, if he isn't making consistent contact with the ball. In addition, while he does have a strong arm, his lack of speed and overall defensive skills almost make him a one-trick pony of sorts.

Since joining Seattle as an international signing in 2022, Montes has mostly had his game compared to Yordan Alvarez, one of the best pure hitter in baseball. A compliment indeed and someone who he admits he models his game after. However, SoDo Mojo's Zachary Rymer recently wrote about how a better comparison would be the Phillies' Kyle Schwarber.

Of course, if Montes ends up being anywhere near as good as Alvarez or Schwarber, then he's going to have a successful Major League career. However, what will likely be making the Mariners nervous, is that the 21-year-old's profile is still more "power only" than "power first." If he continues to rake, then great, but if this leads to trade interest in the coming weeks, at that juncture Dipoto and company shouldn't say no.

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