Former Yankees can't-miss prospect from 2010s reportedly dies after tragic accident

The New York Yankees have suffered a tremendous loss to their baseball family, according to reports out of Venezuela, one that feels almost too shocking to comprehend. Jesús Montero, the slugging catching prospect who was intended to define a new era of Yankees baseball in Jorge Posada's wake, has reportedly passed away after suffering complications in an accident nearly two weeks ago.

Montero broke into the big leagues with the Yankees in 2011, ranking in the upper tier of prospects league-wide and having participated in the Futures Game in both 2008 and 2009. He was dealt to Seattle that offseason, where he played out the remainder of his MLB career, which concluded following the 2015 season.

From that point forward, he returned to his native Venezuela, playing in the Winter League in portions of every season from 2016 through 2021 (making a Triple-A cameo with the Baltimore Orioles' organization in 2017).

According to corroborating reports, Montero suffered a traffic accident on Oct. 5 (believed to involve a motorcycle), and was confirmed to have succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, Oct. 19, at which point his death was formally announced.

Former New York Yankees top prospect Jesús Montero reportedly dies at 35 years old

Montero's Yankees tenure went unexpectedly sideways; for all intents and purposes, the slugging catcher had one-of-a-kind tools and an historic batting eye. He ranked in Baseball America's Top 10 league-wide from pre-2010 through 2012 on three consecutive lists (Nos. 4, 3 and 6). Though the Yankees reportedly held him out of a Cliff Lee trade at the 2010 deadline, the Mariners still retained interest in Montero's profile, swapping Michael Pineda for him instead following the 2011 season.

That meant, after a groundswell of momentum and hype, the totality of his Yankees career consisted of 18 games at the end of the 2011 season, during which he hit .328 with four homers and entered the postseason as a potential secret weapon. He only received two plate appearances in the Yankees' five-game ALDS loss to the Tigers, but recorded two hits.

Our thoughts are with Montero's loved ones, and all those to whom he provided joy by swinging from the heels, at this time.