Mariners’ Top Power Prospect Is Forcing a Bigger Conversation After Monster June

While the Mariners continue to search for more consistent offense, some fans are starting to aggressively point to what their top hitting prospect Lazaro Montes is doing to Double-A pitching. He was named the Mariners’ Minor League Hitter of the Month after putting together a ridiculous month of June.

In 25 games with Double-A Arkansas, he posted a 1.199 OPS with 12 home runs, 30 RBI, a .400 on-base percentage and a .759 slugging percentage. He hit 12 home runs which were tied for the most among all minor league hitters in the month.

My goodness. Lazaro Montes goes 458ft for a 3-run HR. 25th HR for Montes. pic.twitter.com/ERkOydtW07
— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) July 3, 2026

Lazaro Montes’ June Surge Changes the Mariners Prospect Conversation

This has always been the deal with Montes. The power has been the story ever since he joined the organization, and it’s been unwavering. The issue has been whether that raw power would keep translating as the pitching got better.

June has been more of the same for Montes. But we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. Let’s start with the good.

Montes hit .299 in June with 26 hits, 29 runs, 16 extra-base hits and 19 walks. He reached base safely in 21 of his 25 games, including each of his first 12. Earlier in the season, there was a major discrepancy in his power numbers at home vs. the road. Most of his home runs came away from Dickey-Stephens Park, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise. It’s not remotely close to a launching pad for power hitters.

However, in June, he showed major correction by hitting five of his 12 home runs at home. So, we’re seeing improvement in the splits. But there’s one more thing the Mariners should be watching before we start saying he needs to be in a Mariners uniform tomorrow.

He’s still carrying a 30.1 percent strikeout rate.There are a couple ways to look at this. If you move him up to Triple-A, the home runs are likely to come at an even louder rate. The Pacific Coast League is a hitter’s paradise. At the same time, Montes would also be facing more nuanced veteran pitching, which could be a great challenge for him. The downside? He’d also see more fringe arms who aren’t quite at the major league level.

Keep him in Double-A, and he’ll continue facing more raw talent with higher upside. That could be the draw. The Mariners should only move him to Triple-A if they want him one step away from Seattle and closer to a potential call-up. Otherwise, it may be best to let him continue sharpening his hit tool against high-upside pitching, then maybe give him the final month of the season in Triple-A before ultimately giving him a real shot at the Opening Day roster in 2027.

Update: Per Francys Romero, Lazaro Montes has been promoted to Triple-A Tacoma.

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