Scouting Report

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Draft scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 55

The state of Pennsylvania has done a good job of producing some exciting high school talent over the last few years, with Austin Hendrick from the Pittsburgh area going in the first round in 2020 and the Siani brothers, Mike and Sammy, commanding $2 million or more in 2018 and '19. The torch should be passed to Montgomery in 2021 after a summer where the outfielder showed off one of the best sets of raw tools in the class and a senior season that earned him Gatorade state player of the year honors in the Keystone State.

Hailing from just outside the state capital in Harrisburg, Montgomery does a lot of things really well on the baseball field. All summer long, he showed off his close to top-of-the-scale speed (some scouts have 80 run times for him) and his tremendous raw power that helped him win the Perfect Game All-American Classic Home Run Derby. The main concern with the Virginia recruit had been with his ability to get to that power, with a bit of a rigid swing and flat bat path.

Though he lacks fluidity in his swing, the 6-foot-4 right-handed hitter did a very good job of making contact against good competition on the summer showcase circuit. A premium, fast-twitch athlete, Montgomery is a plus defender with an outstanding work ethic. He reminds some of Jayson Werth from his amateur days and will go to the team that believes the bat will play at the next level.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 45

There were five high schoolers taken in the top 10 of the 2021 Draft, two pitchers and three hitters. Montgomery was the fifth of the quintet to hear his name called. The Pennsylvania prepster went No. 8 overall to the Rockies, who took their second straight high school outfielder in the top 10 and signed him for $5 million. Over his first year-plus, he hit well, though a quad muscle injury knocked him out of action in 2022 for a couple of months. His performance at High-A Spokane in '23 wasn’t as inspired, though he did fare well in the Arizona Fall League to cap things off. He was off to a solid start in Double-A when a shoulder injury suffered from diving for a ball in the outfield required surgery and could keep him out for the remainder of the season.

Still only 21 years old for the 2024 season, Montgomery has already done a lot of maturing, both physically and mentally. He’s put his Draft status in the rearview mirror and now has a firmer understanding of what he needs to do to be successful. He showed up to Spring Training with about 20 pounds of good weight added. That should lead to even more power, though his unorthodox mechanics at the plate still lead some to worry about him making enough contact to get to it. His strikeout rate hovered around 27 percent for the second straight year, but his walk rate did tick upward to help offset that and he’s shown tremendous raw power to all fields.

Montgomery’s speed plays on both sides of the ball and the added strength could make him even more explosive. There’s no question he can play center field with plenty of arm, but he’ll get reps in all three outfield spots to keep options open. There’s so much potential to unlock here, and if Montgomery can continue to work on being just a little more efficient, he could be a dynamic everyday guy in the big leagues.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 50

Montgomery really put himself on the first-round map for the 2021 Draft with a strong performance on the summer showcase circuit before his senior year of high school. He went on to win Pennsylvania Gatorade player of the year honors, and his intriguing combination of power and speed landed him in the top 10, with the Rockies taking him No. 8 overall. After hitting well in a brief pro debut in the Arizona Complex League, he continued to perform well during his first full season but missed nearly two months with a quad injury.

A lot of how Montgomery goes about it on the field wouldn’t be found in an instructional video. There are many moving parts to his swing, with concerns about that leading to too much swing-and-miss. While he made a lot of loud contact in 2022, his nearly 27 percent strikeout rate is worth noting and something he’ll have to show he can manage as he moves up the ladder. He’s continuing to add strength to his frame, and that, along with a continued focus on refining his mechanics, should help him keep tapping into his plus raw power. 

Montgomery routinely posts plus run times, but he does so in an unorthodox manner as well, leading to body resistance and perhaps contributing to him breaking down. He tried to play through the quad injury at first, but once he shut it down and came back, he was one of the better players in the California League. He’s learned a lot about how to train and take care of his body, which should help him reach his ceiling as a big league regular in center field.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 50

A Pennsylvania high school standout who earned his state’s Gatorade player of the year honors in 2021, Montgomery climbed to first-round status the summer prior when his elite athleticism and raw power were on display. For the second year in a row, the Rockies went the toolsy high school outfielder front with their top 10 pick, taking Zac Veen in 2019 and then Montgomery last year, signing him for $5 million and letting him get his professional feet wet in the Arizona Complex League and in instructional league play. He moved up to full-season Fresno in 2022, but missed close to two months due to injury.

Montgomery can do a lot of things well, albeit in somewhat unorthodox fashion. Some amateur scouts didn’t love how many moving parts he had in his swing, with a rigidity that had some worry about how it would work against better pitching. Still, he’s shown impressive contact skills at the start of his pro career, keeping his bat in the zone for a long time. The Rockies feel he’ll be able to get more efficient mechanically, with added strength helping him find better body control, which should help close some holes and help him get to his considerable raw power.

An easily plus runner, Montgomery should be able to use his wheels on both sides of the ball. He has the chance to be a center fielder for a long time, with a plus arm. He likes to learn and brings a ton of energy and personality to the field, all of which should help him reach his ceiling as an impact up-the-middle player with an exciting power-speed combination.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 55

The state of Pennsylvania has done a good job of producing some exciting high school talent over the last few years, with Austin Hendrick from the Pittsburgh area going in the first round in 2020 and the Siani brothers, Mike and Sammy, commanding $2 million or more in 2018 and '19. The torch was passed to Montgomery in 2021 after last summer when the outfielder showed off one of the best sets of raw tools in the class and a senior season that earned him Gatorade state player of the year honors in the Keystone State. The Rockies saw enough to make him the No. 8 pick in the Draft and signed him for $5 million.

A Harrisburg area native, Montgomery does a lot of things really well on the baseball field. He’s shown off his close to top-of-the-scale speed (some scouts have 80 run times for him) and his tremendous raw power that helped him win the Perfect Game All-American Classic Home Run Derby last summer. The main concern with the Virginia recruit had been with his ability to get to that power, with a bit of a rigid swing and flat bat path.

Though he lacks fluidity in his swing, the 6-foot-4 right-handed hitter did a very good job of making contact against good competition on the summer showcase circuit. A premium, fast-twitch athlete, Montgomery is a plus defender with an outstanding work ethic. He reminds some of Jayson Werth from his amateur days.

Awards

EAS Player of the Week

Week	Team
04/14/2024

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

AFL Rising Stars

Year	Team
2023

CAL Player of the Month

Month	Team
09/2022

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/07/2024	CF Benny Montgomery assigned to Leones de Ponce.
	10/29/2024	Hartford Yard Goats activated CF Benny Montgomery from the full-season injured list.
	05/14/2024	Hartford Yard Goats placed OF Benny Montgomery on the full-season injured list.
	05/14/2024	Hartford Yard Goats placed OF Benny Montgomery on the full-season injured list.
	04/26/2024	Hartford Yard Goats placed OF Benny Montgomery on the 7-day injured list.
	04/01/2024	Benny Montgomery assigned to Hartford Yard Goats from Spokane Indians.
	04/01/2024	Hartford Yard Goats activated OF Benny Montgomery.
	03/07/2024	Colorado Rockies Prospects activated OF Benny Montgomery.
	02/01/2024	Colorado Rockies invited non-roster OF Benny Montgomery to spring training.
	11/03/2023	OF Benny Montgomery assigned to National League Fall Stars.
	11/03/2023	National League Fall Stars activated OF Benny Montgomery.
	09/22/2023	Salt River Rafters activated OF Benny Montgomery.
	04/02/2023	OF Benny Montgomery assigned to Spokane Indians from Fresno Grizzlies.
	04/02/2023	Spokane Indians activated OF Benny Montgomery.
	03/09/2023	OF Benny Montgomery assigned to Colorado Rockies.
	03/09/2023	OF Benny Montgomery roster status changed by Colorado Rockies.
	07/06/2022	Fresno Grizzlies activated OF Benny Montgomery.
	06/25/2022	Fresno Grizzlies sent OF Benny Montgomery on a rehab assignment to ACL Rockies.
	05/19/2022	Fresno Grizzlies placed OF Benny Montgomery on the 7-day injured list.
	05/17/2022	Fresno Grizzlies activated OF Benny Montgomery from the 7-day injured list.
	04/27/2022	Fresno Grizzlies placed OF Benny Montgomery on the 7-day injured list.
	04/05/2022	OF Benny Montgomery assigned to Fresno Grizzlies from ACL Rockies.
	03/27/2022	OF Benny Montgomery roster status changed by Colorado Rockies.
	03/27/2022	OF Benny Montgomery assigned to Colorado Rockies.
	08/06/2021	OF Benny Montgomery assigned to ACL Rockies.
	07/21/2021	Colorado Rockies signed OF Benny Montgomery.
	07/06/2021	OF Benny Montgomery and assigned to College Workout.
	06/16/2020	OF Benny Montgomery assigned to PG National 3 - Gold.
	06/16/2020	OF Benny Montgomery assigned to PG National 3 - Gold.