Red Sox Have Long Been ‘Enamored’ By Braden Montgomery, Exec Says

The Red Sox have had their eye on Braden Montgomery for quite a while, and now the power-hitting outfielder is a member of the organization.

Boston on Sunday night selected Montgomery, a product of Texas A&M, with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. The 21-year-old already has been labeled "the steal of the draft," according to MLB prospect analyst Keith Law.

Red Sox director of amateur scouting Devin Pearson told reporters the organization was "enamored" by Montgomery dating back to his days at Madison Central High School (Miss.).

"We were enamored by him then, and then got to follow his career to Stanford and (then Texas A&M)," Pearson told reporters, per MLB.com's Ian Browne.

During the ESPN broadcast Sunday, draft experts said Montgomery was not selected out of high school since teams knew about his strong commitment to Stanford.

"He had a huge year in the SEC, and we believe he has even more development left," Pearson said. "His skill set fits perfectly into what we are trying to do here."

FanGraphs' Eric Longenhagen, another draft expert, believes Montgomery has the ceiling of a power-hitting right-field cleanup hitter. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Montgomery told reporters he intends to remain a switch-hitter, as he was during his tenure at College Station.

Pearson indicated the Red Sox are in agreement.

"We see a really athletic outfielder with the ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark from both sides," Pearson said. "Elite swing decisions and a guy that really fits our development philosophies, and with a chance to continue to develop with all the things that we do at the Minor League level."

Red Sox scouts and other experts were surprised Montgomery fell to Boston given he was projected to go inside the top 10.