Every summer at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, teams from ages 13U to 17U compete in the National Team Championships North Carolina (Champs NC), USA Baseball's premier travel baseball tournament that gathers the best competition to go for gold. Champs NC is one of USA Baseball’s key identification events, allowing players to showcase their talent to the USA Baseball Task Force, looking to earn invites to national team training camps and development programs.
Debuting in 2020, the first Champs NC was ready for action as the 14 teams participating were ready to see who had what it took to win gold. Looking back amongst the rosters, one particular player stands out today: The newest big leaguer, Braden Montgomery.
Receiving his call-up to the big leagues today, Montgomery looks to make an impact for the young and talented Chicago White Sox. Sitting above .500 at 34-31 and trailing the Cleveland Guardians by 1.5 games, the White Sox add some extra firepower by calling up Montgomery. He joins Collegiate National Team alum and former Charlotte Knights teammate Jacob Gonzalez. Montgomery will be a critical part of the race for the American League Central with the help of Miguel Vargas, Davis Martin, and Chase Meidroth.
Getting his start as a member of the East Coast Sox, Montgomery came to the National Training Complex and was ready to take in what Champs NC had to offer. The level of competition Montgomery faced is unlike any other travel tournament out there. He understood what it meant to play in Champs NC.
“Anytime you're in high school and you get the chance to come out to a facility like this one and play against talented players like the kids who got there, it's something you don't want to miss out on. It was another chance to kind of start those bonds with top players that you're going to see at every level that you're going to play,” said Montgomery.
Something Montgomery mentioned often about his Champs NC experience is the bonds he formed with his teammates and even opposing players.
“You get to start those bonds there [Champs NC], and it's stuff you get to bond over every time you see them across the field and in the other dugout from you. It's a chance that I don't think any high schooler would want to miss out on,” said Montgomery.
As a premier event in the USA Baseball pipeline, Montgomery participated against some future stars during his run at Champs NC. Players such as Jackson Merrill, Chase Burns, Termarr Johnson, Andrew Painter, Joe Mack, and Tommy White all competed in the 2020 17U Champs NC. One thing Montgomery thought was a big factor in his journey was the significance of Champs NC and how it can develop the next generation of star talent.
“Champs takes a big role in kind of creating those bonds and seeing where guys have come from, that you came up with. You go against these guys in Double-A and Triple-A, and you see that they've been at the same events as you have ever since high school,” explained Montgomery.
“It's kind of that shared experience, and then understanding where guys have come from, and where you're at now, and what it takes to get here.”
Having gone through the Champs NC experience firsthand, Montgomery had advice for players coming to this year's tournament. While there is a glamour to competing for a spot on a national team, Montgomery wants players to spend their time having fun.
“While you're in it, enjoy it, don't get too caught up in the 0-for-3 performances. Enjoy each game and enjoy being with those players. You're not going to be with these tournament teams forever, and you look back on them, and you want to have fine memories. Don't be too caught up in wanting to play well for the USA staff or for college scouts; enjoy going to race go-karts after the game. Just enjoy being in the moment,” said Montgomery.
Having a team full of talent on the East Coast Sox, a plethora of Montgomery’s teammates went on to play college baseball across all levels. Committed to the University of Stanford, Montgomery was dedicated to his process of improvement – using his teammates as a resource rather than a comparison.
“Every time you get a chance to play high-level baseball, it gets added to that experience memory bank for times to look on when you're playing baseball going forward. When you look back on tough at-bats, or you look back on various experiences on the field, it helps to shape how you're going to respond, how you're going to act, and the next moments you have in your base-level career,” explained Montgomery.
“So, while it might not be directly helping me now, it helped me months after, it helped me all through senior year of high school, it helped me into my freshman year of college. Stacking experience on top of experience and shaping how I would go into the next at-bat, next game, and next tournament,” said Montgomery.
Montgomery’s process worked as his collegiate baseball journey began; all the experience finally paid off. Playing in over 60 games during both of his seasons at Stanford, Montgomery put up stellar numbers. His breakout sophomore campaign saw Montgomery record a slash line of .336/.461/.611, totaling an incredible OPS of 1.072 and hitting 17 home runs. His numbers earned him an invite to the 2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp, where he learned some valuable lessons on how to approach his career.
“I think that was the first time I learned that the people really make the event. Hanging out that summer, we were probably here for a month, and the best part of that summer was just hanging out with those guys on and off the field. Obviously, they were all amazing baseball players, but the time we shared in just joking around and enjoying times off the field was, it was awesome. Those are some of the best memories I have baseball-wise.”
During the 2023 Collegiate National Team summer, the team took part in the 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series, along with the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series. Montgomery acknowledged that facing international competition is a huge accomplishment, and his stint was valuable to him and his career.
“I mean, it's everything,” said Montgomery.
“I think the biggest thing, personally, was that it validated all the things I had set out to do. Coming from a seven-year-old me, wanting to be the best baseball player I can, that was a really big step in that journey. Being able to wear USA and being able to come together and play with those guys representing USA to the best of our ability was an awesome experience, and I hope that it's an experience I'll get to have again.”
Following his time with the Collegiate National Team, Montgomery entered the transfer portal and committed to play at Texas A&M for his junior campaign. The Mississippi native made his presence felt, recording an outstanding OPS of 1.187 and slugging 27 home runs, making him one of the top prospects in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Getting selected 12th overall in the draft, Montgomery was headed to Boston to become a member of the Red Sox. During the offseason in December of 2024, though, Montgomery was part of a prospect haul in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, sending Garrett Crochet to Boston. Despite being traded, Montgomery continued doing what he had always dreamed of – playing professional baseball.
Reaching Triple-A in his second professional season, Montgomery was a critical part of the success of the Charlotte Knights. In just 29 games, Montgomery recorded 19 RBIs while slashing .315/.417/.495 with 12 extra-base hits, four of those being home runs. The success comes from his mindset that he set for himself, understanding that baseball is not an easy game.
“Everyone out here is playing for keeps, and they're playing to execute. Sometimes they're going to execute, and you're not. So, you have to be able to understand why that happens and be able to formulate an action plan for how you're going to execute better the next day. Being able to detach emotionally from those outcomes and understand that they are just outcomes. They're only good or bad once you place your individual feelings into them. And so, you just have to understand the good and the bad, and how to use it to help you into the next day.”
The scientific mindset and his understanding that outcomes aren’t everything have led Montgomery to success early on in his professional career.
