White Sox: Colson Montgomery had a truly great season

The Chicago White Sox farm system has been called one of the worst in baseball by several media outlets and experts.

They believe that the talent is just not there and the White Sox are suffering because of it. But while this may be true of the system, there are some players in the minor league system who are turning heads and making a name for themselves.

You may have heard quite a bit about Colson Montgomery, a shortstop who is taking the Minor Leagues by storm, at least a little bit. The White Sox figured they were getting someone special when they drafted him 22nd overall in the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft.

The Huntingburg, Indiana native was a star coming out of high school and had a lot of promise in the eyes of the Chicago White Sox and their fans are starting to know his wealth of promise also.

Montgomery ended up having a stellar season in 2023 playing in the minors. It’s possible that his performance in the minors could help earn him a trip to the majors perhaps as early as next season. But a few things would have to transpire to make that happen. We’ll discuss those possibilities in a moment. First, let’s look at the stats that Montgomery put up this season.

Overall, in playing with three different teams including the ACL White Sox, Winston Salem Dash, and the Birmingham Barons, Montgomery was at bat 223 times hitting the ball 64 times with an average of .287. He had 51 runs, eight home runs, 31 runs batted in, and two stolen bases. His on-base percentage was .455 and his OPS was .939.

These numbers are not bad by any means and represent a lot of possibilities. It’s great to know that the White Sox have someone like Montgomery available, in the minors, should they need to call him up to replace someone who is ailing or, if they lose someone at the shortstop position and need to get some help at the top.

Montgomery is likely next in line for the shortstop position that Tim Anderson may or may not vacate. There are rumors that Anderson may not be around come 2024. If he goes, would Montgomery be the odds-on favorite to take the position over and be Chicago’s next great shortstop?

Montgomery’s strong season in the minors this year may help contribute to his being elevated to the shortstop position in 2024. We shall see what happens but look for Montgomery to be a part of the White Sox Major League plans in 2024.

But, to reflect on his 2023 campaign, the youngster had a telling trip in the minor leagues. He showed that he can be consistent as well as reliable when he steps up to the plate. It will be interesting to see how he handles pitching in the major leagues but with just a little more experience, he will do just fine when he gets into the top of the baseball ladder.