LEWISBERRY, Pa. — No matter how your weekend was, it might be tough to beat Benny Montgomery's Sunday evening.
"This is a dream come true. The number eight overall pick in the draft, all the hard work I put in, so much stuff I'd have to go through, and now it's happening," recalled Montgomery.
While there was anticipation and a lot of phone fidgeting, the Rockies didn't make the Red Land outfielder wait long, selecting him with the eighth pick in the first round.
"I didn't know what to expect. Of course, there was some anxiety and some nerves," said Montgomery. "I didn't know where I was going to go, but I'm happy now that I finally know where I am and I'm happy where it is."
It sounds like the Rockies are happy too. Colorado's interim General Manager Bill Schmidt assessed their first-round pick, "He's a total package with his athleticism and his strength and speed combination. That's something that's hard to find when it all comes together."
"I'm super happy the Rockies have taken a chance on me and that they believe in my ability and I can't wait to be a Rockie."
The draft night analysis believes that Montgomery fits the mold of what they look for in the Mile High City.
"I love this pick. It's a go big or go home kind of pick," said MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. "This is how the Colorado Rockies have had success in the past. Toolsy guys who can mash and cover a lot of ground here at Coors Field and they're good at developing young hitters. When they've had good teams at the big league level, it's been with homegrown bats."
The long road to the draft is now over, but the 'rockies' road to get to the bigs is about to begin.
"Growing up watching games, knowing stars from each team, and saying that I could be one someday is unbelievable," said Montgomery.