2021 MLB Draft: Rays select LHP Mason Montgomery No. 191 overall in sixth round

The Tampa Bay Rays have selected teammates in the 2021 draft, picking LHP Mason Montgomery, a fourth year junior. The Rays previously selected Dru Baker from the Red Raiders in the fourth round.

Baseball America did not have a glowing report, but the velo should play for the southpaw:

After three years at Texas Tech, Montgomery is still searching for a consistent breaking ball. But Montgomery’s 90-95 mph fastball gets swings and misses up in the zone, which may be enough to convince a pro team to take a chance on a lefty with a very good arm. Montgomery’s control was well below-average early in his career at Texas Tech, but he has junked the windup he previously used. Now he pitches from an abbreviated stretch at all times, which has paid off with improved control.

He has a little hiccup in his delivery that adds deception, and Montgomery works up and down in the strike zone. He has a fringe-average changeup, which he doesn’t command as well as he needs to, but it has some deception, especially when he works at the bottom of the zone. His low-80s below-average slider needs more work. He has scattershot command of it, and it doesn’t miss many bats.

A star on the Texas Tech team, our sister site Viva the Matadors observed that Montgomery, “held down the Sunday rotation spot for a majority of the year... [with] a 3.82 ERA over 63 2⁄3 innings.”