White Sox Bold Strategy Has Paid Huge Dividends Immediately
The White Sox raised eyebrows earlier this week when they announced they were calling up top shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery to the big leagues. Even with his impressive recent stretch at Triple-A, it felt like an aggressive promotion given his shaky start to the season. If his performance this weekend is any indication however, the White Sox made the right choice to call him up when they did.
Clear Path To Succeed
It wasn’t a coincidence that the front office chose this series as the starting point of Montgomery’s MLB career. The Rockies are by far the worst team in baseball and play in Coors Field, the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the league. Having Montgomery debut in Colorado provided him the best possible scenario to succeed and hit the ground running at the MLB level. And that is precisely what happened.
Statement Series
Montgomery showed out all weekend. In his debut, he made a spectacular over-the-shoulder diving catch, earning the #1 spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays. He spoke to reporters after the game, providing a candid assessment of his thoughts following his MLB debut.
“Honestly, after the first ground ball that I got at the beginning of the game — the game finds you. So once I got that ground ball, I settled in pretty quick. And then going into my first at-bat, I thought I was seeing the ball pretty well. I had good ABs, I was pretty happy with it,” he said.
Colson Montgomery started his MLB career with a MUST-SEE catch in his debut ????????
Welcome to The Show! pic.twitter.com/mIRayhqyO7
— Topps (@Topps) July 6, 2025
Montgomery’s debut was just the appetizer to what ended up being an extremely successful weekend. He followed up his impactful debut with a three-hit performance last night and another two-hit performance today, with two of those hits having exit velocities of over 105 MPH. All told, he collected five hits in the series while striking out just twice. He also made several impressive defensive plays at shortstop, showing off his range, quickness, and arm strength. The White Sox took two of three from the Rockies largely because of his contributions.
RBI triple for Colson Montgomery's 1st career hit! ???? pic.twitter.com/BBqaoja9NX
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 6, 2025
Potential Turning Point
Montgomery had to travel a long, winding road to reach this point. After being drafted in the first round in 2021, he had several productive years in the White Sox farm system before encountering roadblocks. His 2024 season at the Triple-A level was nothing extraordinary, and he regressed even more at the start of this season. The White Sox notably sent him back to the Arizona Complex League in late April to work with Ryan Fuller, the White Sox Director of Hitting. It was there that Montgomery was able to take a mental breather and make adjustments in a low-pressure setting.
Glimpse Of The White Sox Future
Montgomery hit .279 with a .942 OPS in 34 Triple-A games following his stint in Arizona and continued his positive momentum with a statement series in his first taste of MLB action. He is playing like the longtime top 100 prospect he is, and confidence no longer appears to be an issue. The White Sox deserve credit for allowing him to debut against the Rockies, the best possible opportunity for him to succeed from the get-go at the MLB level. If he continues on this path, his promotion might mark a turning point in his career and the White Sox future as a team.