NEW YORK (WFAN) – The Yankees know Jesus Montero, their blue-chip catching prospect, can swing the lumber.

It’s his prowess behind the plate that has heads turning at Yankees camp.

Montero continued to make his case to stay with the big club on Tuesday, impressively throwing out two runners trying to swipe second base in New York’s 2-0 loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“For a guy who has his type of bat, I have a lot of respect for how hard he has worked to improve from last year,” Phil Hughes said after his spring debut.

Fellow Yankees pitcher David Robertson agrees.

“I first saw him when I signed here and it’s amazing how much better he has gotten,” Robertson said. “He sets up good, blocks balls in the dirt and stays down.”

Montero’s frozen-rope throws to second were impressive. According to Yankees manager Joe Girardi, his ability to block behind the plate was an added bonus.

“He was really, really good,” said Girardi. “The first [throw] the guy was going on a 3-2 pitch down.”

It’s not just personnel in pinstripes that have noticed the youngster’s improvement. The New York Post reported that Montero “had the scouts’ section buzzing.”

“I like Montero, I think he is going to be a big-time player,” one scout told the Post. “I know he is big, but he will be fine. All he has to do is just keep on catching.”

Should Montero get a shot to back up Russell Martin, or does he need seasoning in Triple-A? Let us know what you think in the comments below…