Mariners Minor Leaguer Collects His Second Straight MVP Award
In this story:
When the Seattle Mariners signed Lazaro Montes as an international free agent out of Cuba in 2022, they knew they were getting a unique mix of talent. The 6'3" outfielder has repaid them with fantastic play along multiple levels of the team's farm system. In fact? He's already won back-to-back MVP Awards in two different leagues.
The 20-year-old prospect was recently named the Northwest League's Most Valuable Player as a member of the Everett AquaSox. Montes hit .268, with 18 home runs, and 50 RBIs in 67 games for the AquaSox.
Back-to-back monster seasons!
— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) September 17, 2025
After taking home MVP honors in the California League last year, Lazaro Montes has been named the 2025 Northwest League Most Valuable Player. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/FgJzD7ofLR
It was a bit of deja vu for the youngster, as Montes was also the Most Valuable Player of the Single-A California League last season, while playing for the Modesto Nuts. Two years and two MVP Awards is pretty impressive for a kid who still isn't old enough to legally order a drink.
The left-handed-hitting slugger, who has been ranked as the Mariner's third best prospect by bothMLB Pipeline and Baseball America, was promoted to the Double-A Arkansas Travelers and finished the year with 32 home runs, 89 RBIs across all levels of the minors. He will definitely receive a Spring Training invite from the Mariners prior to next season.
When Can Mariners Fans Expect to See Montes in the Majors?
Lazaro Montes participated in his first spring training with the Mariners in 2025, but he will be watched much more closely and given more opportunities to showcase his skills in 2026. The ideal scenario would see Montes advance through Double-A to Triple-A next year... with a possible September call-up.
However, if he lights it up in Spring Training 2026, he could have an outside shot at making the big leagues sooner rather than later. One prominent baseball writer, Keith Law of The Athletic, says that he sees the talent in the powerful prospect, but he still has a few skills that need to be refined.
“The power is there, and he’s always had that power,” Law stated in July. “When he came into (the minors at age 17), he was already plus power. The questions on him have been: Does he have a position at all? I still kind of lean toward probably not. He is probably going to be a DH in the long run. And how good is his approach at the plate? Is he going to hit enough to get to all of that power in games? That’s kind of varied."
“Early this season, he was struggling with contact, he was chasing stuff out of the zone again. He seems to have tightened that up. He’s been good in the (one) week he’s been in Double-A. I’d like to see that over a larger sample. The more that he controls the strike zone, the better the prospect that he is.”
