With speculation rising as to if Cypress (Calif.) High School catcher Nick Montgomery was going to enter his freshman year of college at ASU or sign with the Atlanta Braves after being drafted, he has signed and will be earning close to $1 million.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!According to MLB.com senior writer Jonathan Mayo, Montgomery has agreed to a contract that will pay him $997,500 following him being the No. 161 pick last Monday at the 2024 MLB Draft.
“Fifth-rounder Nicholas Montgomery signs with Braves for $997,500 (pick 161 value = $403,400),” Mayo said on X (formerly Twitter). “6-foot-4 right-handed hitting catcher with a power bat and arm, has a chance to catch, with pop for first base or outfield corner.”
5th-rder Nicholas Montgomery signs w/@Braves for $997,500 (pick 161 value = $403,400). 6-foot-4 RHH catcher with power bat and arm, chance to catch, w/pop for 1B or OF corner. @MLBDraft
— Jonathan Mayo (@JonathanMayo) July 21, 2024
As Mayo noted, the usual pick No. 161’s slot value is $403,400, less than half of what Montgomery signed for.
At the time of reporting, Arizona State still has him listed as a freshman for this upcoming season and his personal X account says “ASU Commit” in his bio. Now that he has signed with Atlanta, however, the most probable scenario is that he will begin his professional career in minor league baseball in either the Braves’ High-A or Low-A affiliates.
Even though there was not much information available about him before the draft, he is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound catcher who is a power hitter and has areas to improve in his game defensively.
In Montgomery’s pre-draft analysis by MLB.com, they believe the California native is improving his overall game but could move away from playing catcher because of his size and defense.
“At 6-foot-4, Montgomery is a presence from the right side of the plate,” the report said. “There’s plenty of raw power for him to tap into, and he’s done it against good competition, including at the Area Code Games. He uses a small leg kick to help with timing, and while there is some length in his swing and he can open up too soon at times, he’s done a good job overall of making contact against good pitching, both last summer and during his senior season.
“It remains to be seen if Montgomery can stick behind the plate long-term. He has plenty of arm for the position and does have some receiving skills to work with, but his size could kick him to first base or perhaps a corner outfield spot in the future. Regardless of where he plays, it’s his bat that could get the Arizona State recruit off the board during Day 2.”
Montgomery, ASU outfielder Nick McClain (No. 78 pick, Chicago White Sox), catcher Ryan Campos (No. 109, St. Louis Cardinals), pitcher Ryan Schiefer (No. 426, Tampa Bay Rays) and pitcher Hunter Omlid (No. 588, Colorado Rockies) were all drafted last week. Shortstop Steven Ondina signed with the Baltimore Orioles as an undrafted free agent.
Braves draft ASU commit Nick Montgomery in fifth round out of high school
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
