New Red Sox draft pick Braden Montgomery: ‘They’re getting a winner’
Before he was drafted No. 12 overall by the Red Sox, Braden Montgomery played a major role in leading both Stanford and Texas A&M to the College World Series in three straight years.
Now he hopes to make a similar impact in Boston.
“They’re getting a winner that impacts everyone around them,” Montgomery told reporters when asked what kind of player the Red Sox can expect. “I like to be loud, high-energy and good vibes because that’s a good workplace attitude. I like to have fun, nobody wants to be with someone who is dragging around and not enjoying themselves. That’s how I go about things day by day, and like I said, I’m a winner and I’m going to create a winning culture wherever I’m at.”
During his two years at Stanford Montgomery batted .314 with 35 home runs and 118 RBI, helping lead the Cardinal to the College World Series both years. He then transferred to Texas A&M, with whom he earned First Team All-SEC honors as a junior after batting .322 with 27 home runs, 85 RBI and a 1.187 OPS. Texas A&M made a run to the College World Series final, though Montgomery suffered a season-ending broken ankle during the Super Regional round.
While the outfielder isn’t quite ready to return to the field, he said he’s making good progress in his recovery.
“I’m feeling great, I’m honestly a little ahead of schedule in terms of bone growth,” Montgomery said. “They’re letting me walk on it, they’ll really turn the screws loose in two weeks and let me start not having the scooter around. I’ll have free range to walk and start rehab, so as soon as that happens things will start speeding up even more but I’m feeling great, everything is feeling normal in there.”
A switch-hitter in college, Montgomery said he plans to continue batting from both sides of the plate as a professional. He’s generally done more damage from the left side, but either way Montgomery described himself as a well-rounded hitter who looks to punish pitchers who throw into the zone.
“I’m up there to hammer strikes,” Montgomery said. “I like to be able to cover the strike zone, whatever pitch, whatever count, so that’s the main thing I start with is I want to hammer strikes, and that’s where I branch off into bat path and wanting to control the barrel and stuff like that, but it really starts with wanting to hammer strikes and put a barrel on every strike.”
Growing up idolizing Yankees legend Derek Jeter, Montgomery said he always tried to set the tone and lead by example wherever he played. He has also tried to challenge himself, saying he transferred from Stanford to Texas A&M in large part so he could expose himself to the higher level of competition that the SEC offered.
Montgomery’s decision paid off and helped elevate him into a consensus top 10 prospect leading into the draft. The 21-year-old wound up slipping further than expected before landing in Boston at No. 12 — possibly because of his injury — but while Montgomery declined to share his thoughts on the matter, he emphasized that he’s happy with the way things turned out.
“It doesn’t really matter,” Montgomery said. “Nobody knows what could have happened if circumstances were different so I try not to think too much about it, I’m just glad that I ended up where I ended up because I think it’s all part of a bigger plan and I think this organization is going to be a perfect fit for me.”