Jesus Montero: 5 Ways Stud Prospect Can Boost Yankees Down the Stretch

September is finally here, and for Yankees fans, that can only mean one thing...

The Montero Era is about to begin.

Rosters expand today, and as expected, the Yankees will finally call upon their top prospect, catcher Jesus Montero. 

His debut should be either tonight against the Red Sox at Fenway Park or tomorrow against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.  Regardless, Montero will finally don the pinstripes within the next day or two, and once he does, you can bet he'll never take them off. 

As long as he performs at a decent level, the kid they call "Monty" should be able to lock down a spot in the Yankee lineup, and maybe, even a spot on the postseason roster come October.

The presence of Jesus Montero could provide the Bombers with an invaluable weapon as they battle the Boston Red Sox for the AL East title—one that could even make the difference that allows New York to take the crown. 

Need more convincing? 

Well, here are five ways that Montero will present the Yankees with a huge boost down the stretch.

Generating Fan Excitement

Apart from last week's historical three-grand slam game against the Oakland A's, Yankee Stadium has been lacking its usual excitement ever since Derek Jeter finally recorded his 3,000th hit in July. 

It almost seems like the Bombers have been coasting all year, and they have yet to put together a hot streak to try to pull away from the Red Sox in the East. 

Simply put, the Yankees need a spark, something to light a fire underneath them as they prepare for a tough stretch to end the 2011 season.  They need something that can help them roar into the postseason, and the call-up of Jesus Montero could be just that. 

If he can continue the recent hot streak he has had in the minors once he gets to the Bronx, the fans will take notice.  Fans feed on this kind of stuff, and a fresh face will be sure to build some excitement.  As much as people may think otherwise, the fans do have an effect on their team, especially the ones at the ballpark. 

If the fans get excited, so do the players, and when the players are excited, they perform at a higher level.  So, it is entirely possible that Montero's presence alone could have as big an impact as his offensive abilities.

Now, about those offensive abilities...

Yet Another Potent Bat

While the Yankees were looking into potential impact bats to add during the waiver period, the whole time I was thinking, why look for something that you already have? 

The Yankees placed a claim on Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena, but (fortunately, in my opinion) he was pulled back, preventing the Yankees from making a trade for him.  Had the Yankees acquired Pena, there would have been less of a need and one less spot on the postseason roster for Montero.

However, it was not to be, and now, Montero is set to be the impact bat the Yankees sought.  Obviously, adding another bat to an already-elite lineup will only make it better. 

Montero batted .289 with 17 home runs and 66 RBI this year with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, and that was after some struggles at the beginning of the year.  Montero has been hot recently, so there really couldn't be a better time for him to make his major league debut. 

He could take on a role as a backup catcher to Russell Martin, while getting most of his at-bats as a designated hitter.

That brings me to my next point...

Consistency at DH

Entering the 2011 season, the planned everyday lineup for the Yankees included veteran catcher Jorge Posada as the new starting DH. 

The switch to designated hitter was a necessary one for Posada, whose defensive abilities had deteriorated to the point where it was actually hurting the team.  However, the switch wasn't as successful as the Yankees could have hoped, as Posada has endured season-long struggles, leading to his removal from the everyday DH role by manager Joe Girardi. 

Since then, a platoon of Posada, Eric Chavez and Andruw Jones has been used, with Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher also seeing time at DH.

Jesus Montero could easily step in and fill that role on an almost-everyday basis.  Alex Rodriguez will likely need to get some at-bats at DH after undergoing knee surgery, but if he can perform well, then Montero could see the bulk of the time as the Yankees' designated hitter.

Surprisingly, the most troubling position for the Yankees has been the DH, so if Montero could finally solidify the spot, it would make drawing up that lineup card a lot easier of a task for Girardi.

Deepen the Lineup

You can never have too many good hitters, and the deeper a starting lineup is, the better. 

Right now, the Yankees already boast one of the majors' most lethal lineups.  Jeter, Granderson, Teixeira, A-Rod, Cano, Swisher, Martin and Gardner are everyday starters, while the trio of Posada, Jones and Chavez usually occupy the DH spot.  Adding a bat like Montero's to this already dangerous batting order will without a doubt make it the best in baseball.

Judging how good a lineup is as easy as asking yourself who you would most like to face if you were an opposing pitcher.  Right now, either Brett Gardner, who is currently in a slump, or one of the DH men are the weak links.  However, even Gardner is a tough out, as he has excellent plate discipline and can easily lay down a bunt and beat it out with his speed. 

That leaves the designated hitters.  If Jesus Montero was to take that position on a daily basis, there would literally be no easy out in the entire Yankee lineup.  Not only does this make it more difficult on the pitcher, but it helps out the other hitters in the lineup. 

Odds are, if the next hitter in the order can just as easily beat a pitcher as the one currently at the plate, then the current batter is going to get better pitches to hit, as the pitcher will not be able to pitch around him.  This has a trickle-down effect on the entire batting order and will lead to an immense increase in offensive output.

I see Joe Girardi batting Montero seventh or eighth until he proves himself worthy of batting sixth, which would be the spot best-suited for him, in between the lefty-swinging Cano and the switch-hitting Swisher. 

This would ensure that no two hitters that bat from the same side of the plate would bat back-to-back, making it even more difficult for opposing managers to mix-and-match late in a game.

Player Displacement

Now, I love Jorge Posada as much as any other Yankee fan, but there comes a point where we all have to face reality.  Our beloved Jorge is no longer the great player we all learned to love over the years, and pretty soon, he won't be a player at all. 

Unlike the struggles his best friend, Derek Jeter, went through over a season-and-a-half, Jorge is not going to rebound.  He looked like he might in June, batting .382, but then in July, he plummeted back down to Earth and posted a .217 average on the month.  He's looked alright in limited action in August, but that's what he should remain seeing, limited action.

When Jorge Posada first came up as a backup catcher in 1997 after playing in eight games in '96, the Yankees already had a World Series hero behind the plate in the person of Joe Girardi.  Nonetheless, the Yankees gave Posada a chance, and Jorge eventually became one of the best catchers of all time, putting together a career that could eventually land him in Cooperstown.

Looking back, we can all see how much of a mentor Girardi was to Posada, and how welcoming he was to the man who he knew would one day replace him. 

Now, it's Jorge's turn to do the same.  Although he probably knows that Montero's presence could potentially end his playing career a month or two early, he needs to welcome him with the same open arms that his current manager did back in '97. 

Montero will likely take Posada's place on the postseason roster, displacing a player whose skills have deteriorated to the point where he can sometimes hurt the team's ability to win.  If Posada can accept this, he can help make Montero that much better of a player, because not only will he have Posada, but he will have the current catcher, Russell Martin, and the man that taught Jorge 14 years ago, his manager, Joe Girardi, to mentor him. 

This kid has the talent and the opportunity to blossom into a fantastic player, but first, he is going to have to replace one.

Follow me on Twitter  @ChrisSbalcio