Carson Montgomery

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #172 prospect in 2023 draft
  School: Florida State Source: 4YR
  
  Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 20.9
  BA Grade:40/High
  Tools:Fastball: 50. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Cutter: 45. Control: 45.
  
  Montgomery ranked as the No. 40 prospect in the 2020 draft class and was the highest-ranked prospect to make it to campus after going undrafted. He has flashed the solid stuff that made him such a prominent prep prospect, but he has also largely struggled in both a weekend starter and midweek starter role for the Seminoles in three seasons. His 2023 draft year was perhaps his worst season yet, as he posted a 7.00 ERA over 45 innings with a career-low 18.5% strikeout rate and career-high 16.3% walk rate. Listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Montgomery has a muscular physique and solid arm speed and attacks hitters with a lower, three-quarter slot and some crossfiring action out in front. He has a four-pitch mix, led by a fastball in the 92-94 mph range that touches 97-98, but hitters have teed off on it and slashed .343/.482/.574 against the pitch in 2023. He doesn’t have much life on the pitch or deception overall, and it’s consistently played down from its above-average velocity. Montgomery’s best pitch is a mid-80s slider with solid spin and around 11 inches of horizontal movement. He has also thrown a mid-80s changeup and an upper-80s cutter. Previously a strong strike-thrower, Montgomery looked out of sorts this spring in terms of command. His stock has fallen significantly since his prep days, but there’s solid arm talent still here for a team that believes it can give him the necessary tweaks to unlock him in pro ball.
• Ranked #40 prospect in 2020 draft
  A 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander committed to Florida State, Montgomery has a loud two-pitch mix featuring a fastball that’s already up to 96 mph and one of the better sliders in the prep class. Montgomery consistently showed an impressive ability to generate whiffs with both pitches, with his fastball up in the zone and his slider at the bottom and below the strike zone. His fastball sits more in the 90-93 range after he settles in, but the pitch comes out of a high three-quarters slot with good angle and features solid running life. His slider flashes plus consistently, with hard and late diving action that routinely fools hitters, though scouts mentioned that the pitch is inconsistent. Some cite a wrist wrap in the back of his arm slot that could lead to the inconsistencies of the breaking ball, which also limits his fastball command. Montgomery can lose the zone at times and his command is more scattered than teams would like from a prep arm with first-round stuff. Additionally, teams will have to project on Montgomery’s changeup, which is firm in the upper 80s with little movement, but could become a reliable third pitch with additional usage. A team that likes his chance to start long-term could take him in the back half of the first, though most of the industry might have him slightly after that range. He could be a tough sign, particularly within a shortened 2020 draft.