Top 100 Seattle Mariners Prospect Lazaro Montes Receives Diploma in Ceremony

Montes' parents attended his graduation ceremony at the Peoria Sports Complex earlier this week.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Lazaro Montes poses for a portrait during media day Feb. 20 at Peoria Sports Complex. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Seattle Mariners international scouting department is one of the best in the league.

The Mariners signed two top 20 international prospects (per MLB pipeline), Yorger Bautista and Kendry Martinez, in the 2025 international signing period. Three of the organization's seven prospects in MLB Pipeline and Baseball America's top 100 lists — Felnin Celesten, Michael Arroyo and Lazaro Montes — are also international signees.

Seattle's continued success in signing and developing international players is partly due to its physical foothold in the Dominican Republic.

The Mariners have a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic in which players can live, train and, perhaps most importantly, attend school.

Many international players are signed when they're still teenagers and don't get a chance to finish their education before they sign their first professional contracts.

Montes was signed Jan. 15, 2022, when he was 17 years-old. He's been one of players going to Seattle's academy, and he recently graduated.

In a ceremony held at the Mariners' spring training base, the Peoria Sports Complex, Montes received his high school diploma. The ceremony was attended by his parents. The video of the event was posted by the Mariners Player Development account on "X" (formerly known as Twitter).

Somebody’s cutting onions 😭 
 
Lazaro received his high school diploma during camp and his parents were on hand for the special moment. pic.twitter.com/iZQbiIljjq

— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) March 18, 2025

The academy's graduation was held in January at the Dominican Republic. Montes wasn't able to attend due to the various team programs and camps in Arizona. Other international minor leaguers, Ricardo Tova and Roiber Talavera, also earned their diplomas at the ceremony in Peoria, Ariz.

Congrats, Grads!

Lazaro Montes, Ricardo Cova and Roiber Talavera couldn’t attend the ceremony at our academy in the Dominican Republic back in January, so we brought the party to them 👨‍🎓 pic.twitter.com/i4jOtnMiD3

— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) March 17, 2025

Montes received an invitation to major league camp as a non-roster invitee after a successful 2024 season in the minor leagues. He began the year with the Low-A Modesto Nuts and was named the California League MVP. He ended the year with the High-A Everett AquaSox. He finished the season having hit .288 with 21 home runs and 105 RBIs.

In Cactus League play, Montes batted .313 (5-for-16) with two home runs and six RBIs.

Lazaro Montes (@Mariners) flexes his 65-grade power 💪

The first spring knock by MLB's No. 42 prospect is a moonshot!pic.twitter.com/FSpTDpJySa

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 24, 2025

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