By Marc Carig
TAMPA, Fla. -- Even before his bat earned him universal regard as the top Yankees prospect, before his raw power prompted the organization to pony up $1.6 million to sign him, before some observers hailed him as one of the best power prospects to come out of Latin America in recent years, Jesus Montero was a hulking figure.
Too hulking, his critics pointed out.
"He was kind of a fat guy," said Felix Olivo Ludert, who recruited Montero to play at his instructional academy in Venezuela at age 13. "Everybody realized that he had some pop for that age. But everything was a real mess around him. The only thing he was naturally was so powerful with his bat."
With the opportunity to lift his family out of poverty to motivate him, Montero shed his extra weight -- he is 6-4 and 225 pounds -- and didn't lose any power. And by the time he was 16, the earliest that he could sign, representatives from the Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox were waiting, checkbooks at the ready.
"He's the kind of player who loves a challenge, the kind of player who likes to be No. 1," said Ludert, now Montero's agent. "Nobody felt that he would be even close to what he is at this moment."
Which is why Ludert shrugs when he hears the lingering concerns about Montero's shaky defensive skills, and whether he'll ever make it as a big-league catcher. Most observers long ago concluded that Montero's future was at first base or a designated hitter, that his size and apparent lack of aptitude for intricacies of catching would only make it a matter of time before he would move.
But as he's already proved, Montero, 19, has a knack for dealing with naysayers. With his signing bonus, he's already given his family a more comfortable life in Venezuela and is planning to eventually move them to the U.S. All that remains is his final goal: showing that he can learn to catch.
"If he says he's going to be a catcher," Ludert said, "I have no doubt he's going to be."
Most remarkably, the Yankees seem to agree, especially after seeing the strides Montero made last season, first at low Class-A Charleston and then again in spring training.
In the past week, Yankees manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman called Montero the top blocking catcher in the entire camp.
"Without question, he is significantly improved this year as opposed to last year," Cashman said. "To the point that we don't really doubt he's going to be a catcher in the big leagues."
It was quite the accomplishment for Montero, who, according to Ludert is so much of a perfectionist that as a younger player he was so terrified of making throwing mistakes that he'd overthink the simplest tasks -- like tossing the ball back to the pitcher.
"I've been doing really well, been learning a lot," said Montero, who will start the season in the Florida State League with high Class-A Tampa. "I know more than last year. Last year was learning, learning, learning. This year, it's more, more, more. I want to play there. I want to catch in the big leagues."
Sticking as a catcher would prove beneficial for both Montero and the Yankees. With Jorge Posada in the latter part of his career, proving he can catch could potentially fast-track him to the majors.
Remaining behind the plate, Ludert said, is also a point of pride. Montero, he said, views catching as somewhat of a family tradition. Montero's mother was once a member of Venezuela's national softball team. She was a catcher. His younger brother, also named Jesus, is ticketed to play in the Dominican Summer League in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He is a catcher.
But initially, Montero couldn't convince anybody that his catching aspirations were practical. During his first taste of pro ball -- a 33-game stint with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Yankees in 2007 -- Montero caught only three of 32 attempted base-stealers. His awful defensive debut prompted Baseball Prospectus to declare that Montero's future choice of positions included "catcher, first base, or ornamental fountain."
When Montero moved up to low Class-A Charleston in his first full season since signing, he kept on hitting and finished at .326 with 17 homers and 87 RBI.
"He swings a heavy bat," said Austin Romine, who split catching duties with Montero in Charleston. "He doesn't miss the ball too much, and if you make a mistake, he will punish it, and he will hit a very, very long way."
With Romine as direct competition, Montero threw out 26 of 105 runners. The figure still wasn't great, but it proved that he was intent on raising his game.
Yankees bench coach and catching instructor Tony Pena said Montero is setting up more efficiently -- an issue for larger-bodied catcher -- and has showed better arm strength. But Pena, a former All-Star catcher, said patience will be required.
The veteran Posada has noticed considerable improvement behind the plate and said Montero will benefit further from playing for Luis Sojo, the former Yankees infielder who will manage Class-A Tampa this season.
"Knowing Sojo, he's going to be a little tougher on the kid, because he knows what talent is." Posada said. "And you've got to be a little bit tougher on kids who have that much talent."
Too hulking, his critics pointed out.
"He was kind of a fat guy," said Felix Olivo Ludert, who recruited Montero to play at his instructional academy in Venezuela at age 13. "Everybody realized that he had some pop for that age. But everything was a real mess around him. The only thing he was naturally was so powerful with his bat."
With the opportunity to lift his family out of poverty to motivate him, Montero shed his extra weight -- he is 6-4 and 225 pounds -- and didn't lose any power. And by the time he was 16, the earliest that he could sign, representatives from the Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox were waiting, checkbooks at the ready.
"He's the kind of player who loves a challenge, the kind of player who likes to be No. 1," said Ludert, now Montero's agent. "Nobody felt that he would be even close to what he is at this moment."
Which is why Ludert shrugs when he hears the lingering concerns about Montero's shaky defensive skills, and whether he'll ever make it as a big-league catcher. Most observers long ago concluded that Montero's future was at first base or a designated hitter, that his size and apparent lack of aptitude for intricacies of catching would only make it a matter of time before he would move.
But as he's already proved, Montero, 19, has a knack for dealing with naysayers. With his signing bonus, he's already given his family a more comfortable life in Venezuela and is planning to eventually move them to the U.S. All that remains is his final goal: showing that he can learn to catch.
"If he says he's going to be a catcher," Ludert said, "I have no doubt he's going to be."
Most remarkably, the Yankees seem to agree, especially after seeing the strides Montero made last season, first at low Class-A Charleston and then again in spring training.
In the past week, Yankees manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman called Montero the top blocking catcher in the entire camp.
"Without question, he is significantly improved this year as opposed to last year," Cashman said. "To the point that we don't really doubt he's going to be a catcher in the big leagues."
It was quite the accomplishment for Montero, who, according to Ludert is so much of a perfectionist that as a younger player he was so terrified of making throwing mistakes that he'd overthink the simplest tasks -- like tossing the ball back to the pitcher.
"I've been doing really well, been learning a lot," said Montero, who will start the season in the Florida State League with high Class-A Tampa. "I know more than last year. Last year was learning, learning, learning. This year, it's more, more, more. I want to play there. I want to catch in the big leagues."
Sticking as a catcher would prove beneficial for both Montero and the Yankees. With Jorge Posada in the latter part of his career, proving he can catch could potentially fast-track him to the majors.
Remaining behind the plate, Ludert said, is also a point of pride. Montero, he said, views catching as somewhat of a family tradition. Montero's mother was once a member of Venezuela's national softball team. She was a catcher. His younger brother, also named Jesus, is ticketed to play in the Dominican Summer League in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He is a catcher.
But initially, Montero couldn't convince anybody that his catching aspirations were practical. During his first taste of pro ball -- a 33-game stint with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Yankees in 2007 -- Montero caught only three of 32 attempted base-stealers. His awful defensive debut prompted Baseball Prospectus to declare that Montero's future choice of positions included "catcher, first base, or ornamental fountain."
When Montero moved up to low Class-A Charleston in his first full season since signing, he kept on hitting and finished at .326 with 17 homers and 87 RBI.
"He swings a heavy bat," said Austin Romine, who split catching duties with Montero in Charleston. "He doesn't miss the ball too much, and if you make a mistake, he will punish it, and he will hit a very, very long way."
With Romine as direct competition, Montero threw out 26 of 105 runners. The figure still wasn't great, but it proved that he was intent on raising his game.
Yankees bench coach and catching instructor Tony Pena said Montero is setting up more efficiently -- an issue for larger-bodied catcher -- and has showed better arm strength. But Pena, a former All-Star catcher, said patience will be required.
The veteran Posada has noticed considerable improvement behind the plate and said Montero will benefit further from playing for Luis Sojo, the former Yankees infielder who will manage Class-A Tampa this season.
"Knowing Sojo, he's going to be a little tougher on the kid, because he knows what talent is." Posada said. "And you've got to be a little bit tougher on kids who have that much talent."
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