Breaking down the potential top three options for Braden Montgomery

The switch hitting two-way star shocked the college baseball world when he announced he entered the portal

As we have learned over the past few seasons in college sports, no one is safe from transfer portal departures and that even applies to a baseball program like Stanford who is fresh off three trips in a row to the College World Series.

Star switch-hitting outfielder who also happens to pump 95+ on the mound, Braden Montgomery, recently shocked the college baseball world when he announced his intentions to transfer. The news came just days after head coach David Esquer had discussed how important Montgomery was to the program moving forward, going as far to call him a "cornerstone".

Montgomery hit .336 with 17 home runs and 61 RBIs, and was ranked as D1Baseball's No. 5 2024 College Prospect entering '23. He is expected to go early in the first round of next year's MLB Draft. 

While many people who enter the portal are open to every program that is interested in them, it appears that based on a report by D1Baseball's Kendall Rogers that Montgomery has his options in mind as he entered the portal with a "do not contact" tag. While he entered the portal towards the beginning of July, people are still wondering where he may end up.

Here are the three options that I think based on reports and what programs could spark his interest, that Montgomery could be considering. 

Stanford

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A return to Stanford is not out of the question as Rogers reported when his name first entered the portal. Many are speculating if this decision was NIL based, with programs in the SEC being much more renowned for securing NIL deals than the ones out West. While it is a less than ideal way to return to your school where they assumed you'd be a key player next season, there is no doubt that Stanford would welcome back Montgomery with open arms. Especially when you consider the amount of players they lost to the MLB. 

LSU

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LSU is fresh off of winning the title, but they did lose two of the best players in college baseball in hard-throwing pitcher Paul Skenes and slugger Dylan Crews. Those two went No. 1 and No. 2 in the recent draft, so LSU would love to plug in another future first rounder to their lineup to pair with slugger Tommy White. The Tigers have become known for reaping the rewards of the portal, and they may do so here again. 

Mississippi State

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While both Mississippi State and Ole Miss had down years this past season, you can never rule out a return to home. Montgomery is a Mississippi native, and as soon as it was revealed his name was in the portal he was linked to the Bulldogs.