The Texas A&M Aggies are absolutely loaded, but the straw that stirs the proverbial drink down in College Station is highly-regarded transfer Braden Montgomery.
The dynamic two-way star who plays the outfield and pitches for the top-ranked Aggies is the No.10 ranked prospect ahead of this summer’s MLB Draft. While Montgomery has shown promise on the mound, the 6-foot-2 power hitter is likely to play the outfield at the next level.
The former Stanford Cardinals star who belted 35 homers in two seasons out in Palo Alto, also demonstrated a unique ability on the mound flashing a 96-MPH fastball and deceptive slider.
But Montgomery’s lack of control and command at times limited his effectiveness. Because of that he has a higher ceiling and floor in the outfield. Montgomery’s transfer to Texas A&M was one of the most talked about moves in all of college baseball, he joined an already loaded roster, but brings the stability and consistency the Aggies needed.
Montgomery Head Of Aggies Snake
The Aggies are currently the No.1 ranked team in college baseball, and despite their series loss to the No.18 Alabama Crimson Tide over the weekend, the Aggies are expected to remain the top team in the land at (35-5) overall and (13-5) in the land mine SEC. Montgomery’s numbers speak for themselves.
The talented outfielder boasts a .376 batting average to go along with 22 home runs and 67 RBI. He’s also accounted for 50 runs and 56 hits in 149 plate appearances. Even more impressive is his 41 walks versus his 30 strikeouts, which is unheard of in the SEC. He’s also pitched pretty well sporting a solid (28-to-33 K/BB) for a pitching staff that ranks second in the country in ERA.
Montgomery, who’s still banking on heading back to Stanford to get his degree after being drafted, recently sat down with the Pipeline Podcast to discuss his new digs and the 2024 season.
“Things are going great. The guys on the team are unbelievable to be around and it just makes it that much easier to play with them. They like to enjoy themselves and they like to keep it loose. I think that’s a big reason why we’ve been able to do what we do and stick to our process.”
Montgomery Sees Huge Difference In Talent In SEC
A huge reason for Montgomery transferring from Stanford was to have an opportunity to face stiffer competition. The mighty SEC is that and then some with four of the last five College World Series winners coming from the conference. Montgomery knows there’s talent all around college baseball, but as he told the Pipeline Podcast it’s different in the SEC.
“Obviously in any conference, you can find superstars of guys that are standouts and really good, but it’s hard to find holes in the lineups we play against each weekend just because the teams have so much depth,” Montgomery said. “That’s kind of the difference I’ve seen between that and in the years prior that I’ve played. But I think it’s huge for getting ready to enter pro ball. Just having not only to get past a starter, but to get past all the really good arms in the pen.”
True statement by Montgomery, but his Aggies team hasn’t had much resistance, yet this season as evidenced by their record and national ranking. Now the goal is to cap it off with a CWS title, and then seeing Montgomery go in the top ten of July’s MLB Draft.
Recent Comments