It was a rough 2024, but this slugger is still right on the verge of the majors
Colson Montgomery
Shortstop
6´3´´
230 pounds
Age: 23
2022 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 1
2023 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 1
2024 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 1
2024 High Level Charlotte (AAA)
Age relative to high level -4.4 years
SSS rank among all shortstops in the system 1
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 130 games ⚾️ 18 HR ⚾️ 63 RBI ⚾️ .214/.329/.381 ⚾️ 8-of-10 (80.0%) SB ⚾️ 69 BB ⚾️ 164 K ⚾️ .963 FLD% ⚾️ 1.4 Simple WAR
As a three-sport standout from Huntington, Ind. (a community of 18,000 a bit southwest of Fort Wayne), Colson Montgomery was the star quarterback who drew attention from Indiana University, and also was established as a hoops star as well.
However, as good as he was in those other sports, his better long-term prospects lay on the diamond. Easily a first-round talent, he fell to the 23rd pick due to concerns about his being a bit old for a prep player. However, athletic shortstops of his size don’t grow on trees, so when he was available for the Sox, it was a no-brainer selection for Sox scouting director Mike Shirley to opt for the Hoosiers recruit.
After signing for the slot value of $3.027 million, Montgomery held his own despite playing against competition nearly a year older. In 26 games for the ACL White Sox spanning 111 plate appearances, he slashed .287/.396/.362 with seven doubles, 13 walks (11.7%), 22 strikeouts (19.8%) and wRC+ of 112. While hitting righties fairly well at a .284/.376/.378 clip, he fared even better against southpaws (albeit without power) by slashing .300/.462/.300. Coming on strong in September, Montgomery slashed .382/.447/.441. While he did commit five errors, the majority occurred in the first couple weeks of his debut.
The shortstop continued pressing hard on the accelerator in 2022, traversing Single-A ball and even getting the courtesy call-up to Project Birmingham, where he unsurprisingly was overwhelmed over 14 games (15 Ks, .146 batting average). All told on the season, Montgomery played 96 games and had a delightful slash of .274/.389/.421. Birmingham awaited.
And then, the first cracks in the armor appeared, as Montgomery suffered through an injury-plagued (back) 2023 season limiting him to 64 games, fewer than half spent with the Barons. Still, there were signs that nothing could stop the Coslon Express, as in spite of a balky back Montgomery’s power blossomed, with a career-best .484 slugging and eight driven over the wall in those 64 games.
The 2024 season saw the first true roadblocks for the White Sox shortstop of the future, as a full season in hitter-friendly Charlotte went absolutely flat: .214/.329/.381. Montgomery’s power was still there, with career bests of 18 homers and 63 RBIs. And an additional plus was his durability, with 130 games representing the youngster’s first foray into a 100-plus game season. But make no bones about it, this was a setback; a season that carried realistic expectations of at least a September call-up saw Montgomery shuffled off to the AFL for a second straight year — a repeat tour that yielded positives, extending a very hot September and giving fans realistic hopes for carryover into 2025
However, despite being all but handed the shortstop job heading into camp, Montgomery could not seize the gig, seeing just four games of Cactus League play while again being slowed by minor injury.
Montgomery’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Hitting 68
Durability 66
Power 62
Contact 61
XBH 57
RBIs 44
Runs 38
Speed 21
Average 52.13
The good news for Montgomery is that while he failed to earn the shortstop job this spring, none of his White Sox teammates really did, either. That keeps the spot open for him if he can start 2025 as hot as he ended 2024.
2025 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox Prospects
4. Colson Montgomery, SS
5. Kyle Teel, C
6. Braden Montgomery, RF
7. Jairo Iriarte, RHRP
8. Mason Adams, RHSP
9. Grant Taylor, RHSP
10. George Wolkow, RF
11. Bryan Ramos, 3B
12. Brooks Baldwin, SS
13. Chase Meidroth, SS
14. Ky Bush, LHSP
15. Jeral Perez, SS
16. Jacob Gonzalez, SS
17. Caleb Bonemer, SS
18. Wikelman Gonzalez, RHSP
19. Aldrin Batista, RHSP
20. Sean Burke, RHSP
21. Nick Nastrini, RHSP
22. Blake Larson, LHSP
23. Tyler Schweitzer, LHSP
24. Alexander Albertus, 3B
25. Wilfred Veras, RF
26. Seth Keener, RHSP
27. William Bergolla, 2B
28. Samuel Zavala, CF
29. Peyton Pallette, RHRP
30. Jake Eder, LHSP
31. Juan Carela, RHSP
32. Javier Mogollón, SS
33. Nick McLain, RF
34. Ronny Hernandez, C
35. Casey Saucke, RF
36. Eric Adler, RHRP
37. Rikuu Nishida, 2B
38. Shane Smith, RHSP
39. Tim Elko, 1B
40. Zach DeLoach, LF
41. Riley Gowens, RHSP
42. Prelander Berroa, RHRP
43. Sam Antonacci, 2B
44. Adisyn Coffey, RHRP
45. Jarold Rosado, RHRP
46. Ryan Galanie, 1B
47. Trey McGough, LHRP
48. Ricardo Brizuela, RHSP
49. Lucas Gordon, LHSP
50. Aaron Combs, RHRP (traded to Phillies on January 1)
51. DJ Gladney, RF
52. Abraham Núñez, CF
53. Andre Lipcius, 1B
54. Shawn Goosenberg, 1B
55. Caden Connor, 1B
56. Mario Camilletti, 2B
57. Jake Peppers, RHSP
58. Ryan Burrowes, SS
59. Garrett Schoenle, LHRP
60. Jackson Appel, C
61. Tommy Vail, LHSP
62. Bryce Collins, RHRP
63. Tanner McDougal, RHSP
64. Stiven Flores, C
65. T.J. McCants, CF
66. Gil Luna, LHRP
67. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
68. Zach Franklin, RHRP
69. Drew Dalquist, RHRP
70. Nick Altermatt, RHRP
71. Carson Jacobs, RHRP
72. Alec Makarewicz, 1B
73. Jacob Burke, CF
74. Calvin Harris, C
75. Terrell Tatum, CF
76. Phil Fox, RHRP
77. Reudis Diaz, RHSP
78. Jurdrick Profar, SS
79. Drew McDaniel, RHSP
80. Michael Turner, C
81. Caleb Freeman, RHRP
82. Braden Shewmake, SS (designated for assignment on January 1, claimed by Royals)
83. Connor McCullough, RHSP
84. Shane Murphy, LHSP
85. Mikey Kane, 1B
86. Daniel González, LHRP
87. Wes Kath, 3B
88. Pierce George, RHRP
89. Tristan Stivors, RHRP
90. Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, RHRP
91. Chase Plymell, RHRP
92. Eddie Park, CF
93. Loidel Chapelli, 2B
94. Adam Hackenberg, C
95. Adrian Gil, 1B
96. Jared Kelley, RHRP
97. Lyle Miller-Green, 1B
98. Marcelo Alcala, RF
99. Drake Logan, LF
100. Cole McConnell, CF