Coco Montes Bio
Robert Patrick “Coco” Montes (born October 7, 1996) is an American professional baseball infielder. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies and the Tampa Bay Rays, in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants, and most recently in the Mexican League for the Dorados de Chihuahua. A versatile middle-infield prospect, Montes has built his career on consistent contact, plate discipline, and steady power development through the minor leagues.
Early Life and Background
Robert Patrick Montes was born on October 7, 1996, and raised in the Miami area. He earned the nickname “Coco” from a family story: he was born with a full head of hair that his mother shaved off, and his grandfather then began calling him “cocoliso,” a Spanish term that loosely translates to coconut and is used as slang for a bald person. The nickname stuck and has followed him throughout his baseball career.
His great-grandfather, Manuel Ramírez, had been a lawyer in Cuba representing American businesses. By August 1960, Ramírez had arrived in Miami, Florida, later moving to Michigan, then settling in Hartford, Connecticut, where he taught Spanish at Avon Old Farms. The family resettled in Miami in the 1970s, where Montes eventually grew up.
As a young fan, Montes idolized Nomar Garciaparra of the Boston Red Sox, modeling his game after the All-Star shortstop. He attended Coral Gables High School in Florida, where he developed into a draft-eligible prospect.
Path to Baseball
Montes first entered the professional ranks as a draft prospect out of Coral Gables High School. The Washington Nationals selected him in the 35th round, with the 1,064th overall pick, of the 2015 MLB draft. He chose not to sign with Washington and instead honored his college commitment to the University of South Florida, where he continued to refine his offensive approach.
Three years later, the Colorado Rockies drafted Montes in the 15th round, with the 456th overall selection, of the 2018 MLB draft. He signed with the organization and began climbing through Colorado’s farm system that summer, launching a steady ascent that ultimately carried him to the major leagues.
Coco Montes Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Montes made his professional debut in 2018 with the rookie-level Grand Junction Rockies. He had a breakout rookie campaign, hitting .333/.413/.513 with 8 home runs and 42 runs batted in across 69 games, a performance that earned him Pioneer League Most Valuable Player honors. The award signaled his offensive upside and gave Colorado confidence in his trajectory.
In 2019, Montes advanced to the Single-A Asheville Tourists. Over 132 games, he hit .258/.305/.406 and set new career highs with 13 home runs and 89 runs batted in, further cementing his reputation as a middle-infield prospect with emerging power. He did not appear in any games in 2020 after the minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hartford, Albuquerque, and MLB Breakthrough (2021–2023)
Montes spent the 2021 season with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats, playing 116 games and slashing .258/.317/.448 with 13 home runs and 60 runs batted in. He began the 2022 season in Hartford before earning a quick promotion to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, where he batted .274/.359/.500 with 20 home runs, 77 runs batted in, and 13 stolen bases in 111 games, establishing himself as a true power-speed threat at the highest level of the minors.
He opened 2023 back at Triple-A Albuquerque, hitting .321/.401/.560 with 12 home runs, 47 runs batted in, and 4 stolen bases in 59 games. On June 11, 2023, the Rockies selected Montes to the 40-man roster and promoted him to the major leagues for the first time. He debuted that day as the starting second baseman against the San Diego Padres, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs batted in, including a two-run homer off Luis García in the eighth inning that tied the game and led to a 5–4 Colorado victory. In 18 games with the Rockies, he hit .184/.244/.316 with one home run and three runs batted in before being designated for assignment on September 5 following the promotion of Cole Tucker, then clearing waivers and being sent outright to Triple-A Albuquerque on September 7.
Yomiuri Giants Era (2024)
The Rockies released Montes on June 25, 2024, after he had played 64 games for Triple-A Albuquerque that year, hitting .335/.414/.551 with 9 home runs, 47 runs batted in, and 5 stolen bases. Two days later, on June 27, he signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball, beginning his first stint in Japan.
With Yomiuri, Montes appeared in 46 games and batted .272/.308/.391 with 1 home run and 14 runs batted in, providing steady contact in the middle infield for one of NPB’s flagship franchises. The international experience broadened his résumé before he returned to affiliated baseball.
Tampa Bay Rays Era (2024–2025)
On December 23, 2024, Montes signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. On March 27, 2025, the Rays selected his contract and optioned him to the Triple-A Durham Bulls. In five games with Tampa Bay, he went 2-for-10 with a .200 batting average, no home runs, and one run batted in. He was designated for assignment on July 26, cleared waivers, and was sent outright to Durham on July 28, before electing free agency on November 2.
Mexican League Return (2026)
On May 3, 2026, Montes signed with the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. He went 5-for-15 with a .333 batting average and two runs batted in over five games before being released on May 13. Two days later, on May 15, he signed with the Dorados de Chihuahua of the Mexican League, where he continues his professional career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Montes’s career is anchored by a series of well-documented milestones. He won the Pioneer League MVP in 2018 with Grand Junction, was selected in two MLB drafts (2015 and 2018), made his major league debut on June 11, 2023, with a two-run homer that tied the Padres in the eighth inning, played in NPB with the Yomiuri Giants in 2024, and joined the Mexican League in 2026.
Coco Montes Career Wins
Wins and championship totals vary across the leagues Montes has competed in, and fully verified cumulative figures are not consistently available. His win totals are best summarized through his awards, his power-speed production in the minors, and his major league debut. The most complete available production line covers the regular season totals published through the 2025 MLB season and the 2024 NPB season, which are summarized below.
| Level | Batting Average | Home Runs | RBIs |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLB (through 2025) | .188 | 1 | 4 |
| NPB (2024, Yomiuri) | .272 | 1 | 14 |
Coco Montes Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Montes comes from a Cuban-American family with a long history of professional and educational work. His great-grandfather, Manuel Ramírez, was a lawyer in Cuba who represented American businesses before leaving for the United States in 1960, eventually settling in Hartford, Connecticut, and teaching Spanish at Avon Old Farms. The family later resettled in Miami in the 1970s, where Montes was born and raised in 1996.
Personal Life
Montes’s family ties run deep in the Miami community, and his “Coco” nickname reflects a long-running family tradition tied to his great-grandfather and grandfather. The family story behind the nickname has been a recurring detail in coverage of his career, and his early admiration for Nomar Garciaparra shaped his development as a young infielder in South Florida.
2025 Season Performance
Montes opened 2025 in the Tampa Bay Rays organization after signing a minor league contract in December 2024. He was selected to the 40-man roster on March 27 and optioned to the Triple-A Durham Bulls, where he spent the bulk of the regular season. Across his time in the organization, his major league opportunities were limited, as he appeared in only five games for the Rays and went 2-for-10 with one run batted in.
On July 26, Montes was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay, cleared waivers, and was sent outright to Durham on July 28. He continued to play in the upper levels of the minors before electing free agency on November 2, 2025, ending his Rays tenure. His 2025 campaign ultimately served as a transitional year, allowing him to refine his approach and position himself for a return to affiliated baseball.