Texas A&M baseball: Why ‘late bloomer’? Braden Montgomery has another level to reach with Aggies by 2024.

If all goes as planned, Braden Montgomery will not complete his undergraduate studies at Texas A&M. The highly regarded Aggie baseball transfer intends to finish what he began at his previous school, Stanford. But only after hearing his name called early in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft. “It is important to my mom that I get a Stanford degree, so that is the goal,” Montgomery told GigEm247.

Montgomery has every cause to be concerned about the future as the season begins. Montgomery’s excellent junior season will certainly secure his status as a high first-round pick in July. Montgomery has little left to prove. He has already received preseason fanfare. D1Baseball and Perfect Game named him preseason All-America. He has already received accolades, including Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2022 and second-team All-America (ABCA) distinction in 2023. He already has a high draft stock, ranking as MLB.com’s No. 10 prospect.

If Montgomery meets those lofty expectations, the Aggies might have a memorable 2024 season. They appear to have the appropriate pieces around him, as Perfect Game (7th) and D1Baseball (10th) both placed them in their preseason top ten. A&M will begin its three-game home series against McNeese State on Friday at 6 p.m. in Blue Bell Park (TV: SEC Network+). “I have told myself that if we win a national title, then everything individually will have taken care of itself,” Montgomery stated. “So that is my goal.”

The Aggies enhanced their chances of accomplishing that accomplishment by signing Montgomery, who joined the NCAA Transfer Portal after last season. Montgomery, a switch hitter, outfielder, and right-handed pitcher, will add a unique skill set. In the same game, Montgomery could hit from both sides of the plate, make a diving catch in right field, and strike out the opposing team’s greatest hitter. What is perhaps most impressive about him is the widespread belief in his potential. It remains mainly unexplored.

“He is not even close to where he is going to be,” said Jeremy Isenhower, Montgomery’s private hitting coach since 2021. “He is a late bloomer.” The world has yet to realize his full potential. And when people see it, it will be really wonderful.”