Boston red Sox: Five things to know about first-round selection Braden Montgomery of the Red Sox
After the Red Sox selected Braden Montgomery with the No. 12 pick, he was beaming.Associated Press/LM Otero The Red Sox added Texas A&M outfielder Braden Montgomery, a power bat, to their prospect pipeline on Sunday with their first pick in the 2024 MLB amateur draft. Montgomery, 21, who was selected with the 12th overall pick, had a stellar junior season with the Aggies this year. Thanks to his excellent arm and power at the plate, Montgomery presents a lot of upside. This is Boston’s third consecutive year selecting a position player with its first-round choice. What you should know about Boston’s first-round pick is provided here.
1. He pounded at the plate in 2024 After teeing off against SEC pitching this spring, Montgomery cemented his status as a first-round lock. Montgomery, who won Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and batting title in his first year of college at Stanford, went on to become the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year in 2021.Before going to Texas A&M, he batted 336 as a sophomore with 17 home runs and 61 RBIs.
In his debut season with the Aggies, Montgomery flourished as a 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound switch-hitter in the batting pen.322 over 61 games with 27 home runs, 85 RBIs, and a 1.187 OPS. Per the scouting report on MLB.com: “In high school, Montgomery had a stronger hit-over-power profile; but, in college, that has changed. With great power that plays to all areas of the ballpark, he is a switch-hitter who is strong and has a fast, aggressive stroke from both sides of the plate. As a lefty hitter, he causes more damage. His plate has improved.discipline in his handling of breaking balls over the previous two seasons, although he still chases non-fastballs and swings and misses at pitches in the zone quite frequently. Montgomery led all 2024 MLB Draft prospects in exit velocity, according to Joe Doyle of FSS Plus, who also noted that MLB.com rated him with a 50 hit tool and a 60 power tool.
