Jesús Montero, the former Yankees catcher who was once one of baseball’s top prospects, has died at age 35, the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League announced.
Montero was reportedly injured in a motorcycle accident on Oct. 4 and had been hospitalized in critical condition, officials said.
“The Yankees are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jesús Montero,” the Yankees said in a statement Sunday. “We send our sincerest condolences to his family & loved ones.”
Montero was MLB’s No. 9 prospect in 2011, the season in which he made his big-league debut with the Yankees as a 21-year-old.
The Venezuelan-born Montero hit .328 with four home runs in 18 games with the Yankees that season, then was traded the following winter to the Seattle Mariners in a deal for right-hander Michael Pineda.
At the time, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Montero “may well be the best player I’ve ever traded.”
Montero spent four seasons with the Mariners from 2012-15 and set career highs with 15 homers and 62 RBI in 2012.
He also spent time in the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles’ minor-league systems, and he served a suspension with the latter after violating MLB’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
In five MLB seasons, Montero hit .253 with 28 home runs over 226 games.
Montero continued to play professionally overseas before retiring after the Venezuelan Winter League’s 2020-21 season.
“We join the baseball community in mourning the passing of former Major League player Jesús Montero,” MLB said in a statement.
With News Wire Services
