Home Top UVA baseball recruit Benny Montgomery taken in first round of MLB Draft
Sports News

Top UVA baseball recruit Benny Montgomery taken in first round of MLB Draft

Chris Graham
uva baseball
Photo courtesy UVA Athletics.

Virginia almost certainly stands to lose its top recruit in Brian O’Connor’s Class of 2021, Lewisberry, Pa., outfielder Benny Montgomery, who went to the Colorado Rockies with the eighth pick in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft Sunday night.

As the eighth pick, Montgomery is in line for a signing bonus in the area of $5.18 million.

His Twitter bio still lists him as a @uvabaseballsignee, but … no.

The UVA partial scholarship is at this point just signing leverage for Montgomery, if even that.

“I had meetings with some of their top guys a few weeks ago, and I knew that they liked me, and I liked them as well,” Montgomery said in a post-draft interview last night.

“The thought of playing at Coors Field, where the ball flies, can’t be cooler to me.”

O’Connor, a smart guy, knew this was coming. He’s lost numerous guys to the draft in the past. His Class of 2016 lost three, including  Max Kranick, a righthander out of Scranton, Pa., who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, was able to wrangle a $300,000 signing bonus out of the Pirates – $200,000 above the allotment for a post-10th round pick – and bypassed Virginia for MiLB.

O’Connor spoke with us on the “Jerry Ratcliffe Show” podcast a couple of weeks ago on a day that happened to be the one on which Kranick made his MLB debut with the Pirates. He pitched five perfect innings in his debut against the St. Louis Cardinals before being lifted after a lengthy rain delay.

Montgomery had committed to UVA as a freshman, back before he grew into what is now a 6’4”, 200-pound frame with power (he won the Perfect Game All-American Classic Home Run Derby) to go with his elite speed.

“You know, when Benny committed to us his freshman year in high school, nobody knew, Virginia baseball didn’t know, professional baseball didn’t know, nobody knew that Benny Montgomery would develop into a first-round pick, because it’s so early, you just don’t know how it’s going to end up panning out for you,” O’Connor said.

Two other Virginia recruits – righthanded pitcher Shane Panzini (Spring Lake, N.J.) and shortstop Casey Saucke II (Rochester, N.Y.) – rank in Baseball America’s Top 500 Best Available Prospects Remaining.

Panzini is at 203 on the list, which could have him going somewhere in the seventh or eighth rounds.

Saucke, who projects as a third baseman, is at 438, which could have him going in the 14th or 15th rounds.

Story by Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].

Latest News

uva basketball andrew rohde shooting
Basketball, Sports

Live Coverage: UVA Basketball on the road at Virginia Tech on ACC Basketball Saturday

How To Bet On The Daytona 500 in Florida
Sports News

How To Bet On The Daytona 500 in Florida

The Daytona 500 will zoom into action on Sunday, February 16th, 2025 and it promises to be one the best races of the year. The NASCAR season will kick into high gear this week and the best Florida sportsbooks are giving away up to $5,625 in free bets for the race. Read on to learn...

How To Bet On The Daytona 500 in South Carolina
Sports News

How To Bet On The Daytona 500 in South Carolina

The 67th annual Daytona 500 is right around the corner and NASCAR fans in South Carolina can put the pedal to the metal by cashing in with some of the top online sportsbooks. With the season-opening race set to kick into high gear on Sunday, the best offshore betting sites are giving away up to...

5 Best Betting Apps for the 2025 Daytona 500
Sports News

5 Best Betting Apps for the 2025 Daytona 500

uva ryan dunn ncst
Basketball, Sports

UVA Basketball alum Ryan Dunn set for NBA All-Star Game Tournament on Sunday

South River Greenway
Local News

Waynesboro: Section of South River Greenway to close for 30 to 60 days for improvements

uva football o line
Football, Sports

UVA Football: Elliott adds talent, depth, experience to O line from the transfer portal