San Diego State outfielder Shaun Montoya commits to Kentucky

Montoya is a career .306 hitter with elite bat-to-ball skills and the ability to play center field.

Photo courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics

San Diego State junior outfielder Shaun Montoya has committed to Kentucky, sources told Bat Cats Central. Montoya is coming off the best year of his career with the Aztecs as he slashed .327/.401/.427 with 72 hits, nine doubles, two triples and three home runs. He drew 20 walks and struck out just 26 times in 250 plate appearances. Montoya is a native of Rancho Cucamonga, California, and was briefly committed to Cal State Fullerton before deciding on Kentucky.

A three-year starter at San Diego State, Montoya was a 2023 Second-Team All-Mountain West selection after hitting .298/.388/.452 in 221 plate appearances with 15 doubles, four triples and two homers. He hit at the top of the order for San Diego State and will have a chance to do the same at Kentucky. For his career, Montoya is a .306 hitter.

Montoya gives the Wildcats a veteran left-handed hitter with some versatility in the outfield. According to Baseball Reference, he has played in 147 career games, with 128 starts in right field and 25 starts in center field. He’s ranked as the No. 177 player in the portal by 64 Analytics.

Kentucky now has 13 commitments from the transfer portal. Montoya joins Canisius outfielder Jackson Strong and Transylvania’s Trent Youngblood as players who project as outfielders, though Youngblood might be considered as a utility player. Youngblood, a Louisville native, started 102 games in the outfield at Transylvania but has 30-plus career starts at shortstop and second base.

As Bat Cats Central reported on Sunday, the Wildcats remain in pursuit of Wright State outfielder Andrew Patrick. Patrick is draft-eligible and ranked in the top 300 of draft prospects by Baseball America, but he would be another intriguing option in the outfield if he ultimately wound up on campus.

Kentucky must replace two starting outfielders. Left fielder Ryan Waldschmidt is set to be the highest MLB draft pick from Kentucky in the past five years, and center fielder Nolan McCarthy entered the transfer portal last week.

Incoming transfer portal commitments (13) 

• RHP Scott Rouse (Radford)

• OF Trent Youngblood (Transylvania)

• RHP Chase Alderman (EKU) 

• RHP Nic McCay (South Dakota State) 

• RHP Ryan Verdugo (Cal State Bakersfield) 

• 1B/OF Cole Hage (Columbia) 

• OF Jackson Strong (Canisius)

• LHP Ethan Walker (Longwood) 

• LHP Cole Hentschel (Richmond) 

• RHP Oliver Boone (California) 

• C Raphael Pelletier (Kansas State) 

• SS Luke Lawrence (Illinois State)

• OF Shaun Montoya (San Diego State)