Did Braden Montgomery get drafted? Looking at Texas A&M baseball star's MLB Draft 2024 selection
Braden Montgomery entered the 2024 MLB draft on the back of a stellar season with Texas A&M. Unfortunately for the outfielder, he sustained a season-ending ankle injury during the NCAA Super Regional against Oregon, but the Aggies eventually finished the season as runners-up in the College World Series.
With the spotlight on Day 1 of the MLB draft at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday, fans were curious to learn whether Montgomery would get picked in the early rounds.
When did Braden Montgomery get drafted?
Braden Montgomery was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 2024 MLB draft. The former Texas A&M outfielder was the No. 12 pick by the Red Sox.
Many believe that Montgomery's ankle injury pushed him further down the pecking order in the draft. He was unable to feature in the College World Series at Omaha, and that might have been the difference for the Aggies, who lost to Tennessee at the final hurdle. The injury also appeared to have dropped his draft stock at a crucial stage since he was initially projected as a top-10 pick.
Nonetheless, Montogomery had a fabulous season with the Aggies before his injury. He transferred to Texas A&M for his junior year in 2024 after playing two seasons at Stanford.
For the Aggies, Montgomery hit 27 home runs and 85 RBIs with a .322 batting average. The switch-hitter also drew 53 walks in 236 at-bats.
After being drafted by the Red Sox, Montgomery, who is still recovering from his ankle injury, expressed his excitement at joining the nine-time World Series champions.
"It was joy," Montgomery said. "To be picked by anybody today means a lot to me and my family. For it to be the Red Sox means a whole lot, so I’m excited to get to work.”
The Red Sox were reportedly keen on landing Montgomery since his high school days. The organization reportedly sent scouts to watch him play at Madison Central High School in Mississippi and continued to monitor his progress.
It will be interesting to see when Montgomery makes his MLB debut, but first, he needs to recover from his ankle injury.