It took nine innings and three swings for Lazaro Montes to erase a month's worth of frustration.
Seattle's No. 4 prospect slugged three roundtrippers and drove in a career-high eight runs to power Double-A Arkansas past Wichita, 16-6, on Saturday afternoon at Equity Bank Park.
Montes, who reached base four times, has turned his season around in a matter of five days. The power spurt is a welcome sight to both the organization and to the 21-year-old, who entered this week's series with the Wind Surge with one homer in his first 80 plate appearances.
It was an alarming start to 2026 for MLB's No. 37 prospect, who finished tied for third in the Minors with 32 dingers last year.
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Montes finally began emerging from his slumber the moment Arkansas pulled into Wichita. The Havana, Cuba, native entered Saturday's contest with two homers in the first three games of the series.
Montes kicked off his personal Home Run Derby in the fourth, whistling a 118 mph laser (per the ballpark's Trackman device) over the right-field fence for a three-run jack to give the Travelers -- playing as their Mad Mallards alternate identity -- a lead they wouldn't relinquish. The lefty-swinging outfielder cracked his second three-run tater to right in the next frame, equaling his previous high of six RBIs set last Aug. 16 for Arkansas.
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That personal best would only grow. After flying out in the seventh, Montes came through in his final at-bat with a two-run clout to right for the first three-homer game of his pro career. Multihomer contests are nothing new for the 6-foot-5, 210-pounder, who has quickly become one of the Minors' top slugging prospects.
While a breakout for Montes felt like an inevitability, he has basically equaled his prior season output in the span of five games. MLB's No. 8 international prospect in 2022 woke up Tuesday morning with one homer, seven RBIs and a .212/.338/.348 slash line.
He's collected five homers and 11 RBIs in his ensuing four games to boost his OPS from .686 to .900, right in line with his career mark of .910.
Montes' trifecta was the 11th time he's gone deep at least twice in one game, and he's left the yard 59 times since the start of the 2024 campaign. Only Dodgers No. 19 prospect Ryan Ward (75) and Yankees No. 6 prospect Spencer Jones (60) have more homers in that span.