Jesús Montero, a former Major League Baseball player once regarded as one of the sport’s most promising prospects, died on Sunday, October 19, 2025, following a motorcycle crash in his native Venezuela. He was 35 years old.
The accident occurred on Saturday, October 4, 2025, when Montero’s motorcycle collided with a pickup truck in Valencia, Venezuela. The impact left the former catcher with severe injuries, including multiple leg fractures, several broken ribs, and significant lung and organ damage. He was immediately placed in an induced coma at Valencia City Hospital, where he remained for two weeks before succumbing to his injuries.
The New York Yankees announced his death on Sunday, expressing their sorrow over the loss. In a statement posted to social media, the team conveyed that they were deeply saddened to learn of the passing and sent their sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones.
Montero’s journey to professional baseball began when the Yankees signed him as an international free agent in 2006 for $1.6 million. At just 16 years old, then-general manager Brian Cashman described the Venezuelan teenager as the best hitting prospect from his country since Miguel Cabrera. The following year, Montero began his minor league career with the Gulf Coast Yankees, quickly demonstrating the exceptional batting skills that would define his early career.
After progressing through the Yankees’ farm system, Montero made his major league debut in September 2011 as a designated hitter. His arrival was met with considerable excitement, as he ranked among the top prospects in baseball. In his second game with the Yankees against the Baltimore Orioles, the 21-year-old became the second player that age to hit two home runs in one game since 1993. Over 18 games that September, he posted a .328 batting average and a .996 on-base plus slugging percentage, hitting four home runs. He also appeared in one postseason game during the American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, going 2-for-2 at the plate.
Despite his impressive debut, Montero’s time with the Yankees proved brief. In January 2012, the organization traded him to the Seattle Mariners in a package deal for pitcher Michael Pineda. According to Cashman, “He may very well be the best player I’ve traded,” acknowledging the potential the young player represented.
Montero’s career with Seattle began with promise but gradually declined. During his first season in 2012, he appeared in 135 games, hitting 15 home runs with a .685 on-base plus slugging percentage while splitting time between catcher and designated hitter. On June 8, 2012, he served as catcher when six Seattle pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The following years brought a series of setbacks. In 2013, he tore his left meniscus and underwent surgery. During his recovery, he became implicated in the Biogenesis scandal, accepting a 50-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. He returned to the Mariners in 2014 but arrived overweight, leading to increased scrutiny of his conditioning. One incident during this period involved a Mariners scout allegedly sending an ice cream sandwich to Montero in the dugout, prompting an angry confrontation.
Montero’s final major league appearance came on October 3, 2015, with the Mariners. Over four seasons in Seattle, he accumulated 24 home runs, a .247 batting average, and a .668 on-base plus slugging percentage across 208 games. The organization designated him for assignment in March 2016.
Following his departure from Seattle, Montero signed minor league contracts with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles but never returned to the majors. In 2016, he received a second 50-game suspension for another doping allegation. He continued his playing career in Mexico with the Sultanes de Monterrey and Generales de Durango before returning to Venezuela to play in the Venezuelan Winter League. His final professional season came in 2020-21 with the Águilas del Zulia.
After the accident on October 4, Montero’s family created a fundraising campaign to help with medical expenses. In an October 6 update, they described him as not only a great athlete but also a kind, generous, and big-hearted man. An October 16 update indicated he remained in the intensive care unit while undergoing dialysis. He had recently undergone successful surgery to stabilize his leg but still required complex chest surgery.
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League paid tribute to Montero, describing him in Spanish as “a powerful bat, an unforgettable presence, a heart that loved this game.”
Montero is survived by his two children, Loren Alejandra, 11, and Jesus Alejandro, 10, from his marriage to ex-wife Taneth Gimenez. In an Instagram post following his death, Gimenez shared photographs of Montero with their children, stating she would keep the good memories tattooed on her soul.
His major league career concluded with a .253 batting average, 28 home runs, 104 runs batted in, and 204 hits over 226 games.
