Mariners promote prospects Montes, Arroyo to Triple-A (sources)
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SEATTLE -- The next two high-profile hitting prospects in the Mariners' system are a step away from the big leagues.
Sunday, the club promoted both outfielder Lazaro Montes and infielder/outfielder Michael Arroyo to Triple-A Tacoma, sources confirmed to MLB.com's Daniel Kramer. The club has not confirmed the promotions.
Montes -- MLB Pipeline’s No. 26 overall prospect -- took over as Seattle’s top hitting prospect when Colt Emerson graduated. He’s the No. 3 prospect in the Mariners’ organization behind pitchers Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan, with Arroyo -- MLB Pipeline’s No. 43 prospect -- behind him at No. 4.
In 79 games with Double-A Arkansas this year, Montes slashed .234/.369/.550. His 25 home runs lead all hitters in the Mariners’ system. That 65-grade power is the 21-year-old’s calling card -- he’s hit 101 home runs in five Minor League seasons -- but he had an all-around red-hot June, hitting .299 with a 1.199 OPS.
MLB.com’s No. 8 international prospect in 2022 when he signed with the Mariners for $2.5 million as a 17-year-old out of Havana, Montes has been promoted each of the past four summers. He's coming off back-to-back MVP seasons, having earned Northwest League MVP honors in 2025 and California League MVP honors in 2024.
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Arroyo, who signed at the same time as Montes out of Colombia, is also following the midseason promotion pattern. In 65 games for Arkansas this year, he hit .287 with an .820 OPS.
A natural middle infielder, Arroyo has split his time between second base and left field this season. The Mariners already have Emerson inked to a long-term deal and Cole Young -- last season's marquee prospect callup for Seattle -- performing well at second base, with No. 6 prospect Felnin Celesten developing as a shortstop at High-A, so Arroyo’s best path to the big leagues may well be in the outfield, or at the very least as someone who can man a utility role.
This move is the second big one of the year -- after Emerson’s big league callup on May 17 -- for a farm system that came into the season with seven Top 100 prospects.