BOSTON -- A Red Sox farm system that is already loaded with premium talent on the position-player side added another big piece on Sunday night with the selection of switch-hitting outfielder Braden Montgomery with the 12th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Boston also selected TCU left-hander Payton Tolle with its No. 50 pick.

? Get to know No. 12 Draft pick Braden Montgomery

Montgomery, a Texas A&M product, sustained a broken right ankle while playing in the NCAA Super Regional against Oregon, and that might be the reason he slipped to the Red Sox. Montgomery was the No. 8 prospect heading into the Draft, per MLB Pipeline.

Evidence of that injury was on full display Sunday night, as Montgomery, who was at Draft headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, rode around on a knee scooter while wearing a white Red Sox jersey.

But that didn¡¯t slow him down, as he bounced around the Cowtown Coliseum with excitement after being picked by an organization with the rich history of the Red Sox.

¡°It was joy,¡± Montgomery said. ¡°To be picked by anybody today means a lot to me and my family. For it to be the Red Sox means a whole lot, so I¡¯m excited to get to work.¡±

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Boston¡¯s amateur scouting department felt similar joy that he was still on the board at No. 12.

¡°There's always surprises in the Draft and the way it works in baseball, and we were really excited that he was there for us and happy we were able to make it work,¡± said Red Sox director of amateur scouting Devin Pearson. ¡°And we just couldn't be more fired up to bring him into the organization.¡±

The Red Sox tracked Montgomery going back to his days at Madison Central High School in Mississippi, with area scout Danny Watkins leading the charge then.

¡°We were enamored by him then, and then got to follow his career to Stanford and [then Texas A&M],¡± said Pearson. ¡°He had a huge year in the SEC, and we believe he has even more development left. His skill set fits perfectly into what we are trying to do here.¡±

And what are the strong points of that skill set?

¡°We see a really athletic outfielder with the ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark from both sides,¡± said Pearson. ¡°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.¡±

In a Zoom call with reporters, Montgomery left no doubt what type of energy he brings to a baseball field and a clubhouse.

¡°They¡¯re getting a winner that impacts everyone around them,¡± Montgomery said. ¡°I like to be loud, with high energy and good vibes. I like to have fun. No one wants to be somewhere when people are dragging around and not enjoying themselves. I¡¯m a winner and I¡¯m going to create a winning culture wherever I¡¯m at.¡±

As for the ankle that robbed Montgomery a chance to go to the College World Series Final with his teammates -- they wound up losing to Tennessee -- he doesn¡¯t foresee it as an issue going forward.

¡°Yeah, I'm feeling great,¡± Montgomery said. ¡°I'm honestly a little bit ahead of schedule in terms of bone growth. They¡¯ve seen some bone growth where that break was. There¡¯s no pain. Everything is just normal in there.¡±

The Red Sox will have their medical staff take a closer look at Montgomery before deciding for sure if he will play at some point this season.

¡°I think it¡¯ll be part of a bigger conversation,¡± Pearson said. ¡°We certainly won't rush him back. We'll get him on site in Fort Myers [Fla.] with our medical staff and kind of figure out what the best plan is for him. But I'm happy to hear he's ready to get rolling, for sure.¡±

While Montgomery mainly played right field at Texas A&M, Pearson said the Sox will try him all over the outfield to see what his best spot is.

The various ways Montgomery can impact a game should become evident as soon as he signs and gets sent to a Minor League affiliate.

How does Montgomery describe his playing style?

¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s dynamic,¡± said Montgomery. ¡°It¡¯s impactful. What whatever I'm doing, I'm impacting the game and I¡¯m going to help us win. I¡¯m not letting guys take extra bases in the outfield, and then I'm hitting homers.¡±

Red Sox add pitcher in second round

With their second pick (No. 50 overall) on Day 1, the Sox took Tolle, the lanky TCU lefty who adds a lot of intrigue with his 6-6, 250-pound frame.

¡°The unique traits for him are just the far-above-average extension, his ability to throw strikes, his ability to spin the slider,¡± said Pearson. ¡°He does a lot of things that we can work with and get to his optimal shapes. Mainly it¡¯s the extension and how his fastball moves.¡±