South Carolina Baseball: Former Gamecock named to top MLB Postseason players list

South Carolina baseball alum Jordan Montgomery has become a big-time pitcher in Major League Baseball. The former Gamecock was drafted by the New York Yankees and had put up productive seasons for the Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals before being traded to the Texas Rangers at this year’s trade deadline during the best season of his career.

The Rangers traded for Montgomery as part of an “all-in” move to contend for a World Series title in 2023. Montgomery has been the team’s best pitcher since the trade, even outperforming future Baseball Hall of Famer Max Scherzer. Since joining the team, Monty is 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA  and a 58-13 strikeout-walk ratio.

Montgomery joined fellow 2012 South Carolina baseball signee Corey Seager with the Rangers. Unlike Montgomery, however, Seager did not end up in Columbia, instead signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers after being drafted in the 1st round of the 2012 MLB Draft.

Last week, the Rangers clinched a playoff spot. Texas will take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card round of the American League Playoffs. Former South Carolina baseball signee Taj Bradley plays for the Rays. He never made it to the Gamecock program, however, as he went straight to the pro game, signing a contract with the Rays organization.

Major League Baseball online writer Will Leitch released a list of the top-50 players in the MLB Postseason, and Montgomery made the cut. Coming in at #30, Montgomery ranks as the 3rd-highest Ranger behind only the team’s dynamic middle infield duo of Seager and Marcus Semien. Teammate Adolis Garcia also made the list.

Montgomery is expected to get a start for the Rangers in the series with the Rays. With a strong postseason to back up his impressive 2023 campaign, the South Carolina native will be in line for a large payday in Major League Baseball’s free agency this offseason.