The Boston Red Sox picked two college baseball players from the Lone Star State to kick off the first day of the MLB Draft.
During the first two rounds on Sunday evening, the Red Sox chose Braden Montgomery (an outfielder from Texas A&M) and Payton Tolle (a left-handed pitcher from TCU) to join their organization.
Montgomery was the 12th pick in the first round of the draft and one of six players in attendance at the draft ceremony held in the Fort Worth Stockyards, per an MLB press release. After being drafted, he explained some of the emotions of the moment.
“It was joy. Honestly, to get picked by anybody today means a lot to me and my family,” Montgomery told the press. “For it to be the Red Sox means a whole lot, so I’m excited to get to work.”
Montgomery was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and played for Madison Central High School before he began his college baseball career at Stanford University, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Prior to the start of last season, he transferred to Texas A&M, the runner-up team in this year’s Men’s College World Series, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
With a .322 batting average, 27 home runs, and 85 RBIs this season alone, Montgomery proved his potential for the big leagues.
As the team was fighting for a spot in Omaha at the College World Series, Montgomery injured his ankle during a Super Regional series against Oregon, reported FWST. Following his draft to the Red Sox, he shared an update on his condition as he looks to get back on the field.
“I’m feeling great; I’m honestly a little bit ahead of schedule in terms of bone growth,” Montgomery explained. “They’ll really turn the screws loose in two weeks and let me start not having to scooter around, [giving] me my free range to walk and start rehab.”
In addition to picking up Montgomery, the Red Sox scored some defensive talent by picking up Payton Tolle, a left-handed pitcher from TCU, as the 50th pick overall.
Tolle transferred to TCU from Wichita State, originally hailing from Yukon, Oklahoma. He led the Horned Frogs to several crucial wins throughout the season with a 3.21 ERA and 81.1 innings pitched.
Tolle’s talent doesn’t end on the mound, as he stepped up to the plate several times throughout the season to bat.
In fact, Tolle had 13 RBIs this past season and scored two home runs for the Frogs. In an interview with MLB TV during the regular season, he shared more about his two-way game.
“I love doing both [pitching and hitting]… I remember being told in high school ‘you’re gonna be thrown into one. You’re either gonna be a pitcher, or you’re either gonna be a hitter,’” Tolle said. “They’re just telling you that for recruiting purposes. So I was very grateful for the opportunity to keep doing both.”
The Frogs ended their season at the Big 12 Championship tournament, not making the cut for the College World Series, DX previously reported.
Other notable picks from the first day of the draft include Jared Thomas, an outfielder from Texas, picked up by the Colorado Rockies as the 42nd overall pick. Chris Cortez, another Aggie, was selected as the 45th pick overall, heading to pitch for the Los Angeles Angels.
The 2024 MLB draft will continue on July 15 and July 16 for the remaining rounds, per the MLB website.