It took nearly four full years but Colson Montgomery will be a Major Leaguer. The 2021 first-round pick will reportedly join the White Sox on July 4 after a strong June, hitting well at Triple-A after two turbulent seasons in the Minors.
A Look at Montgomery
The White Sox took Colson Montgomery, a power-hitting shortstop, in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft. At the time, Montgomery was primed to be part of the next wave for a Sox team that had control of the AL Central. But after the old core of the White Sox regressed, with many pieces sold off, Montgomery took on heightened importance.
Unfortunately for Montgomery, he didn’t have a linear path to the Majors.
Injuries limited Montgomery in the early parts of his career. He only played 96 games in 2022 and spent a healthy chunk of 2023 on the injured list (he also dealt with a back injury this spring). Thus, Montgomery needed to get in work down in the Arizona Fall League in 2023 and 2024.
However, Montgomery really needed the work in the AFL — he hit .313 over 10 games last year — in 2024 after a rough season in Triple-A Charlotte. The 23-year-old struck out 164 times over 130 games, complicating the trajectory for Montgomery.
In early May, the White Sox took the step to demote Montgomery to the ACL for a reset. At the time, Montgomery was averaging nearly two strikeouts per game. And, Montgomery whiffed nearly 28% of the time against fastballs.
Montgomery only spent a week in Arizona. When he returned, he found his form. The Whiff% on fastballs went down to 18.9%, and he chased 26.9% of the time, down from 33%.
He hit .250 with two home runs with Charlotte in May before turning it on in June. The 23-year-old slugged .672 in June, fourth-best in the International League during the month. In his last full week with the Knights, he led the circuit in both home runs (4) and total hits (11).
Montgomery is, in many ways, similar to Corey Seager. Both are 6’4”, left-handed hitting shortstops with good bat speed and a smooth swing. Unsurprisingly, given how quick the bat is, he’s a heavy pull hitter. Down in Triple-A this season, 42.2% of his batted balls went to the pull side.
However, that size will be something to watch at the Major League level. Most shortstops in the Majors are not of Montgomery’s stature. He did play four games at third with the Knights. But, the vast majority of his playing time was at third base.
Multiple reports indicated the White Sox will promote Colson Montgomery on July 4.
Analysis
The clock has been ticking on Colson Montgomery.
Since the Sox signed Montgomery as a 19-year-old in 2021, the team only had four professional seasons to add him to the 40-man roster. Or, expose him to the Rule 5 Draft. Chicago added him to the 40-man last November but regardless of the fact, the team needed to give him a look soon.
Montgomery hit very well over the last month, finally figuring out Triple-A pitching to get to this point. Now, he’ll join prospects Chase Meidroth, Edgar Quero, and Kyle Teel are prospects to get the call to Chicago in 2025.
But aside from figuring out where he’ll play — Chase Meidroth has been the regular shortstop in Chicago — the real question will be whether the bat will play at the MLB level.
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