Braden Montgomery brings unique talent to the Boston Red Sox as he begins his professional baseball career.
Boston selected the 21-year-old on Sunday with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. The 6-foot-2 Texas A&M product blossomed into his physical frame and utilized a refined skill set.
Montgomery was born in Iowa and grew up in Mississippi, where he developed a passion for the game and strived to improve every day. He attended middle school camps with coaches from Madison Central, his future high school in Mississippi.
“What’s awesome about him is the work he’s put in,” Madison Central head coach Patrick Robey told NESN.com.
Montgomery had the foundation to become a successful baseball player when he entered high school, but he still needed a lot of work.
“He was a good player, but what led us to believe and to just feel confident that he was going to be a tremendous player was the work ethic,” Robey told ESPN. “That’s the kind of kid he was.” He had a respectable toolkit, but nothing extraordinary.”
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Montgomery maintained consistency in his work throughout his early high school years and hit a tipping point in his junior year. That’s when his physical abilities took a stride forward, creating the impression of a future impact ballplayer.
“His work ethic was on a whole other level,” Robey explained.
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Montgomery grew stronger in the weight room and focused on improving his on-field skills, particularly reducing swing-and-miss at the bat. Those occurrences sparked interest in the Madison product, who received offers from schools while Perfect Game ranked him as the best high school prospect in Mississippi and No. 23 overall in the country.
Montgomery was continuously working on his own time to improve his on-field ability. He eventually worked with Jeremy Isenhower, a personal hitting coach, and Gregory Shelton, a personal trainer. These improvements increased his power at the plate and developed his arm, allowing him to throw at speeds of up to 90 mph from the mound and the outfield.
COVID-19 disrupted Montgomery’s junior season. When some players stagnated during the pandemic, Montgomery accelerated his progress.
Montgomery became a force at the plate the next season, hitting over.400 with seven home runs in 35 games. At the high school level, he exhibited a great level of skill in making in-game adjustments, and one moment in particular stood out to Robey.
“He goes back up and hits a home run from the right side,” Robey recounted. “Then, in his next at-bat, he hits one from the left side.” That is one thing that struck out to me.
It was evident that Montgomery’s baseball prospects were high. That didn’t appear to bother him as he proceeded to dominate in Mississippi.
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“When you’re a big prospect in high school, everybody knows it,” Robey told me. “The dugout on the other side of the field is very upbeat.” Braden had a lot of experience with envy, gamesmanship, and other such issues. I remember one game where we were playing a huge competitor and he struck out 20 (batters) in seven innings. That is the level of focus he has. “He is incredible.”
In addition to Montgomery’s stellar performance on the field, Robey witnessed the skilled outfielder flourish as a teammate with an engaging personality that helped everyone around him.
👀 STANFORD 👀
Braden Montgomery joins the HR Party… Lead is down to 3 after Stanford's 6th dinger of the day!!
📺 ESPNU#RoadToOmaha x @StanfordBSB pic.twitter.com/5CDAuMU0yF
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 12, 2022
“He’s no different than anybody else when it comes to having a good time,” Robey told me. “Getting loose in the dugout and locker room. When the lights come on and he puts on his cleats, he resembles Clark Kent. When he’s out on the streets, he just looks like any other person. When he enters into the phone booth, he transforms into Superman. That’s how Braden seemed as he emerged from the clubhouse. “He looked almost like Superman in cleats.”
Four straight games with a homer for @B_mont_ 👍#GigEm pic.twitter.com/up7dOswViX
— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) April 2, 2024
Montgomery ultimately graduated and headed west to Stanford University. The potential to receive an excellent education and grow as an athlete at a Power-Five school attracted the young player to make the move. With such a change, an adjustment period was required.
“One of the things was the adjustment period,” Stanford head coach David Esquer explained to NESN.com. “To be honest, there was a learning curve when he came to Stanford. I recall having to persuade our coaches to relax and stop worrying about Braden and his performance. I had to remind them, “When did Braden Montgomery have to be good at practice?”
DON'T TEST THE ARM OF @B_mont_#GigEm pic.twitter.com/HXIQWS4f3E
— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) March 17, 2024
Esquer added: “… I remarked, “When the lights come on and there’s a real game with a real pitcher, he’ll be Braden Montgomery.” That’s exactly how he was when we started playing competitively. He was an All-American during his first year. “He simply took off from there.”
Indeed, he did.
Montgomery grew up at Stanford and played like an impact player. The outfielder hit 35 home runs in two seasons in the Pac-12, with an OPS above 1.000 as a sophomore. He constantly delivered for the Cardinals, earning spots on the Stanford All-Regional team, the Pac-12 All-Conference team, and the Golden Spikes Award watch list.
AGGIES ARE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES BOUND#MCWS x 🎥 ESPN / @AggieBaseball pic.twitter.com/Fm0xFYfkqa
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 20, 2024
“The thing that really stood out is that as the competition and the lights got brighter, the better he played,” Esquer told reporters. “When we played in regionals, super regionals, and the College World Series, it wasn’t a huge leap. He basically kept a slow heartbeat and performed like himself. When you see a guy who can do that, you don’t care if they play in three-tiered stadiums with 50,000 people. It’s just baseball to them. “That is what he showed me.”
Montgomery transferred to Texas A&M for the 2024 season and excelled in College Station.
“He had one moment in the fall where his last seven swings, he hit seven home runs in a row,” Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley told ESPN. “He went from three left-handed to four right-handed. Completely unexpected. Left center. Right field line, followed by one up the foul pole in right. We were all saying, ‘Oh my gosh.’ “I’ll never forget that.”
Montgomery seamlessly transitioned into the Southeastern Conference. He hit 27 home runs this season.322 with an OPS of 1.187. He also excelled defensively, as opposition baserunners attempted to test his high-grade arm.
“Texas A&M is a really good environment and a good place to play,” Earley said to reporters. “We made him feel at ease from the beginning. Braden is the type of man that is going to be comfortable in his own skin regardless of the circumstance. I just thought it was the ideal match. He thrived with such a strong lineup around him.”
Montgomery’s switch to another great baseball conference did not appear to affect his performance. Earley, like Esquer at Stanford, observed an Aggies star who was calm, cool, and collected.
“He’s not afraid of the big moment,” Earley remarked. “He is a superstar. That is what he is. Superstar kid. Superstar player. He’s built for these kinds of situations.”
Montgomery’s outstanding college career was cut short when he injured his ankle during a postseason game against Oregon during regionals.
“That was probably the lowest moment I’ve ever had on a baseball field,” Earley told me. “This is without a doubt the lowest point of my life. I was just waiting for him to wake up. He never did. I really felt awful for him. I wasn’t concerned about us or the team. I felt bad for him. To his credit, I believe how he handled the situation benefited the guys.”
The Red Sox prospect was still recuperating his injury as he rolled around the draft on a knee scooter. While such a setback may derail a player, the time away from the field enhanced what may be Montgomery’s most valuable intangible: his character.
Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello saw it from across the field when his Volunteers defeated the Aggies in the 2024 Men’s College World Series. Montgomery backed his teammates and emerged as a dugout leader. Vitello made sure to inform Montgomery about it during their conversation on MLB Network on draft night.
That was the type of person he was at every stage of his baseball career.
“He’s a charismatic individual, right?” Esquer spoke. “People flocked to him. He has a contagious smile. When he plays with energy, everyone else does too. “It is a simple fact.”
Montgomery now joins a highly talented Red Sox farm system that has positioned Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kyle Teel as Boston’s next main players. Earley believes Montgomery will fit in well with the Red Sox’s player development philosophy.
His might dominates his profile, however a few details should be mentioned. All three of Montgomery’s coaches believe he can continue to switch-hit at the next level, and his defense should be acknowledged as a strength.
“He was first-team All-SEC defense,” Earley explained. “He’s quite comfortable out there. He’s incredibly silky. He does an excellent job of placing himself. Just has a great sense for the tempo of the game. While I believe that an arm is an overrated weapon because it is rarely utilized, he changed my mind because his was used extensively. He made several throws that I had never seen before. I am not sure if I will ever see them again.”
Montgomery’s narrative is one of growth as a terrific person and equally talented ballplayer. For the second time in a row, the Red Sox landed another top prospect in the draft. It may have won them another promising look into the future.
