Top 100 Prospect Lazaro Montes Talks Training With Outfielder Randy Arozarena

One of the Seattle Mariners top prospects worked with with fellow Cuban and the team's major league left fielder in the offseason.

Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena celebrates after hitting a single against the Texas Rangers on Sept. 12 at T-Mobile Park. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Seattle Mariners have many top 100 prospects down at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz., for spring training.

In the lead up to big league camp, several of the Mariners minor leaguers practiced in the offseason with their major league counterparts.

Lazaro Montes (No. 97 Baseball America, No. 42 MLB Pipeline), was one of those players and was pictured working out with Seattle's starting left fielder Randy Arozarena during the break.

Both players came to the U.S. as international signings from Cuba. Arozarena originally signed with the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 1, 2016, and Montes signed with the Mariners on Jan. 15, 2022.

Montes spoke about working with Arozarena via a translator in a news conference posted on Seattle's YouTube channel on Feb. 16.

"It's something special, because he's also from Cuba," Montes said via a translator. "And to me, it just brings some sort of satisfaction to me just knowing that we're both from Cuba and being in a major league organization. When we were in Miami, I got talk to him a lot. And he gave me a lot of tips. Some stuff for the outfield. But just having him and being able to talk to him is really good."

Montes said later in the news conference that he didn't know Arozarena was in Miami and it was a coincidence the two ran into each other. Montes expanded on his admiration for Arozarena regarding the latter's competitiveness.

"One of the things for us, as Cubans, something that we carry is how competitive we are," Montes said. "And to see him bring it to the major leagues is something I've really admired. Bringing something from our culture into this league, it's special."

Montes ended 2024 with the High-A Everett AquaSox after beginning the year with the Low-A Modesto Nuts. He was named the California League MVP for his time in Modesto. He finished the year with a .288 batting average, 21 home runs and 105 RBIs.

Lazaro Montes cranked two homers yesterday and is now slashing .337/.432/.561 with four HR in his last nine games.

He's now inside my top 15 overall.#TridentsUppic.twitter.com/tiI2IUHNlf

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) June 8, 2024

Montes is projected for a 2026 call-up according to MLB Pipeline. If he has decent numbers in spring training and in the minor leagues with the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, he could make his major league debut right on schedule.

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