(670 The Score) The White Sox selected Southridge High (Indiana) shortstop Colson Montgomery at No. 22 overall in the first round of the MLB amateur draft Sunday evening.
Montgomery, 19, is 6-foot-4 and lauded for his athleticism. He has plus power, according to the scouting report from the ESPN broadcast. He throws right-handed and bats left-handed.
Montgomery is currently a shortstop, though some talent evaluators envision him moving to third base when he fills out his frame. He was also a star high school basketball player.
"I have known and heard about this player since he was 14 years old," White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley said. "The first time I had a really good look at him was in his freshman year in high school of the state championship game. He is famous there for playing two sports. He piqued my interest back then. So you think about he runway you are on getting him from that point to here. Watching his career unfold has been substantial. You didn't know if he was going to play basketball or baseball. He really, really blew me away when I went to see him play this spring. He made great progress from the fall to the spring and summer. Watching his growth and to see his talent unfold has been impressive."
Click here to get your White Sox tickets
A number of scouts and outlets have cited similarities between Montgomery and Dodgers star shortstop Corey Seager when he was younger.
“Montgomery has a good left-handed swing that should allow him to hit for average and power,” read the MLB.com scouting report on him. “He’s most effective when he uses the entire field rather than trying to pull pitches out of the park, and his approach got more consistent throughout the summer. His frame resembles Corey Seager’s at the same stage of their career, and he has the strength and bat speed to develop similar pop.”
The addition of Montgomery marked the first time since 2012 that the White Sox selected a high school player in the first round.