Red Sox Add College Star to Farm System With 1st-Round Pick in 2024 Draft

With the 12th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday, the Boston Red Sox selected Braden Montgomery, an outfield out of Texas A&M. Montgomery was the 8th-ranked overall draft prospect per MLB.com.

Montgomery's draft stock fell slightly after he broke his ankle in the first game of the Aggies Super Regional series and was unable to play as his team made their way to the College World Series Final. Montgomery, a transfer from Stanford, hit .322 with 27 home runs and 85 RBI last season. He turned 21 years old in late April.

MLB.com's draft profile for Montgomery shed some light on what Red Sox fans can expect from him:

"A switch-hitter with strength and a quick, aggressive stroke from both sides of the plate, he does more damage as a lefty hitter and his plus power plays to all parts of the ballpark. He has improved his plate discipline and his ability to handle breaking balls during the last two seasons, but he still swings and misses at pitches in the zone a bit too often and will chase non-fastballs.

With average speed and plus-plus arm strength, Montgomery fits best in right field."

- MLB.com scouting report

Montgomery will be added to a Red Sox farm system that has received varied reviews. MLB system rankings can vary heavily by outlet and the data points that they use to evaluate. Ahead of the MLB Draft, USA Today ranked Boston as the 13th-best farm system.

Bleacher Report is far less enamored by the Red Sox' collection of young talent, ranking the pipeline 19th. FanGraphs, who employs a far more in-depth formula centered around an "estimated future value system to determine how much value an organization's farm system would be capable of producing", has the Red Sox as the fifth-best system.

Shortstop Marcelo Mayer, catcher Kyle Teel, and outfielder Roman Anthony are commonly referred to as the "Big Three". Mayer, 21, was the fourth overall pick by Boston in 2021. Teel, 22, was the Red Sox' first-rounder last summer.

On Saturday, Anthony turned heads by winning the first-ever Futures Skills Showcase as part of the All-Star Game festivities. The 20-year-old was 79th overall pick by the Red Sox in 2022. All three are currently playing with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs.

Mayer (7), Anthony (14), and Teel (24) all rank in the top 25 rankings of MLB prospects by MLB.com.

The Red Sox will make their next selection with the 50th overall pick.

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