Texas A&M outfielder selected in first round of the 2024 MLB Draft
The Boston Red Sox drafted outfielder Braden Montgomery out of Texas A&M with the 12th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Montgomery said one thing crossed his mind when he heard his name called by the Red Sox.
“Excitement, just to be part of such an organization, it’s amazing,” said Montgomery, who was at the Cowtown Coliseum for the draft. “It’s a prestigious organization and I look to add on to that winning tradition.”
Montgomery was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but played his high school baseball at Madison Central High School where he was Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year in the 2020-21 season.
He was a part of MLB Develops which focuses on increasing participation in baseball through events which include the All-Star Comissioner’s Cup, HBCU Swingmanc Classic and other events. Montgomery explained why the initiative was important to him.
“Through events like MLB Develops and stuff like that, being able to give back and put young kids on the right path that they want to be on to be who they want to be and to see kids around them that look like them,” said Montgomery.
Montgomery had a first-round grade in the 2021 MLB Draft, but instead chose to honor his college commitment to Stanford.
He transferred from Stanford to Texas A&M ahead of the 2024 season and excelled hitting .322 with 27 home runs and 85 RBIs and was a key cog for an Aggies team that went all the way to the final of the College World Series before losing to Tennessee.
Montgomery talked about his growth as a player and his admiration for the Aggie fanbase which gave him one of the loudest ovations of any player drafted.
“I think the best thing would just be able to slow the game down a little bit more. Improve on what I want to swing at,” said, Montgomery, “It means a lot to have my 12th-man family out here.”
Montgomery is rehabbing from an ankle injury suffered in the first game of the Aggies Super Regional series against Oregon and won’t be ready to hit for approximately another four to six weeks but said he was ahead of schedule and feeling great.
Montgomery was one of six players in attendance at the MLB Draft and said he came because he wanted to experience the fruits of his labor. He joins a Red Sox organization that has the 14th-best farm system in baseball.
This story was originally published July 14, 2024 at 7:12 PM.
