It¡¯s said that good things come to those who wait. Three hundred days removed from an ankle injury that ended his collegiate career, Braden Montgomery made his professional debut -- a stretch that included the Draft, a trade and a stint at big league camp. Three hundred and one days after that injury, MLB¡¯s No. 52 prospect smashed his first pro homer with Single-A Kannapolis.
Montgomery finished the game 2-for-4 in the Cannon Ballers¡¯ 6-5 loss to the Hickory Crawdads at Atrium Health Ballpark.
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Flashback to June 8, 2024. Montgomery was wrapping up his first season at Texas A&M after transferring from Stanford, where he was a premier two-way player. Focused solely on hitting for the first time, the 6-foot-2 outfielder batted .322 with 27 home runs and 85 RBIs, both good for third-best in school history. The Aggies were facing the Oregon Ducks in Super Regional play when an awkward slide into home plate resulted in a broken ankle. With Montgomery cheering on from the bench, the Aggies advanced to the Men¡¯s College World Series Finals before ultimately falling to Tennessee.
The following month, Montgomery was selected 12th overall by the Red Sox as he became the highest-drafted position player in program history. It was a surprise then when he received word in December that he had been traded to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet deal, swapping places alongside fellow top prospect Kyle Teel (CWS No. 2/MLB No. 30). While the timing was odd, Montgomery was aware of Chicago¡¯s interest prior to the Draft.
"I had heard that the White Sox were really interested, they really loved me," Montgomery said during an MLB Network interview this offseason. "But obviously with the Draft, you never know how things shake out."
So it was in a White Sox uniform that Montgomery saw game action for the first time since his injury. He appeared in eight Spring Training games, including Chicago¡¯s Spring Breakout matchup, during which he made a diving catch in the outfield.
This time last year, Montgomery was duking it out during SEC play. Now he takes on the challenge of facing pro pitching and early results suggest it won't take him long to acclimate.