Jesus Montero: 5 Reasons the Rookie Can Be October's Biggest "X-Factor"

In 1998, 26-year-old RF Shane Spencer joined the Yankees' big club on September 1 and proceeded to hit .421 with eight home runs and 21 RBI, including three grand slams, a record for rookies that still stands today. Granted, Spencer had seen action with the club prior to the rosters expanding (.290 average in 29 at bats), but for all intents and purposes, he was a September call-up.

In the playoffs, Spencer cooled off a bit but was still a valuable piece of the Yankees' puzzle, hitting a combined .263 with two home runs and five RBI over three playoff rounds, including the World Series.

Fast forward 13 years, and the Yankees find themselves with 21-year-old Jesus Montero making a case for inclusion on the Yankees' postseason roster.

After the jump, here are five reasons why the Yankees' über-prospect could be a major factor in October, and we could very well see more signs regarding the messiah floating around Yankee Stadium next week.

Natural Talent

For the past few years, Jesus Montero has been widely regarded as one of the best hitting prospects in all of baseball.

Montero has incredible raw power, something that he has not yet fully exploited, and an excellent batting eye that allows him to quickly recognize pitches. 

His ability to control his bat throughout his entire swing, putting the barrel of the bat exactly where he wants it to go, is a unique ability that many players spend their entire career trying to master.

As Montero becomes more comfortable in his new role with the Yankees and with facing the best pitching in the world, his natural talents will continue to become more refined, making Jesus a hitter that pitchers need to take note of.

You Know Nothing of My Work

Sure, I just gave you a quick scouting report on Jesus Montero.

But how much do opposing teams really know about him, his tendencies and any holes that may be in his game?

If they are going off of what scouts saw this season while he was with the Yankees Triple-A affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, they're fooling themselves. Montero was at times thought to be bored and disinterested in the minor leagues this season as he believed he should have been in the majors out of Spring Training.

True, that's not the attitude you want out of a player, but he's clearly capable of much more than what he showed this year in the minors.

With a limited sample size against major league pitching to scout and his game continuing to evolve, Montero is a dangerous weapon in Joe Girardi's arsenal and a problem for the opposition.

He Lengthens the Yankees' Lineup

It's no secret that top-to-bottom, the New York Yankees have one of the most potent lineups in all of baseball.

That being said, the two men slotted to fill the designated hitter role for the majority of the season —Andruw Jones and Jorge Posada—have had less-than-stellar seasons, leading to a general lack of production when slotted in the lineup.

Jesus Montero has shown that he can fill that void nicely, making an already strong lineup even stronger, something that could mean trouble to opposing pitchers.

Protection

Jesus Montero provides protection in the lineup to whomever he hits behind.

Without question, teams will, at first, pitch around the player in front of Jesus to get to the rookie. But after he makes them pay once or twice with timely hitting, teams will think twice before going after the talented youngster.

This means that the player in front of Montero will likely get some pitches to hit, as no opposing pitcher is going to want to face Montero with runners on base.

Ego

Entering 2009, Baseball America ranked Jesus Montero No. 38 in their preseason Top 100 Prospect rankings.

By the middle of 2009, Montero had skyrocketed to No. 3 in BA's midseason Top 25 Prospect rankings.

2010? He was ranked No. 4 entering the season, No. 5 in the middle of the season.

2011 saw Montero back in the No. 3 spot heading into the season. With his lackluster performance for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Montero found himself down to No. 8 at the midway point—and the lowest he had been ranked in over two years.

Jesus Montero is a proud man, someone who is confident in his abilities.

To see his ability questioned no doubt bruised his ego.

It would piss me off if I were him.

A man with something to prove is a dangerous man...especially when he carries a big stick.