(670 The Score) After the White Sox set an MLB record with 121 losses in 2024, one of their greatest needs going forward is an everyday shortstop.
In 22-year-old Colson Montgomery, the White Sox hope they have their answer. The question is when Montgomery will be ready for his big league call-up.
He’s coming off an uneven season, having hit .214 with 18 homers, 63 RBIs and a .710 OPS in 130 games at Triple-A Charlotte in 2024. Montgomery finished the season strong and then had a brief stint in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .313 and homered three times in 11 games.
"I really enjoyed going back to the Fall League,” Montgomery said.
“I felt like a veteran there being more mature after being there last year too.
It helped me with my discipline at the plate, and I rediscovered the looseness in my swing that allowed me to generate more power. During the season, I was trying to muscle the ball and that cut off the fluidity of my natural power swing. The club officials were really happy with what I did there and at Charlotte in the last six weeks of the season. It was good to get over some struggles I had in the season and find my confidence again.”
Montgomery admitted he did have to be persuaded that playing in the Arizona Fall League again was the right move for him.
“I wouldn't say initially I was happy about repeating the Fall League,” he said. “At the same time, I knew the extra time was needed. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. I would have liked to have a full offseason. You kind of have some bitterness in you after a long season, but I used it as a challenge. I was determined to show who I was as the player I knew I was. I had to put my ego and pride away for a bit and understand this was the best thing for me.”
Montgomery has kept in mind that progress isn’t always linear in baseball, even for highly touted prospects like himself.
“Being a competitor, you never want to fail,” Montgomery said. “But when you do, you learn how to get better and have the discipline to learn more about yourself. The season was not a failure or disappointment at all. I learned a lot about myself as a person and baseball player.”
Montgomery kept close tabs on the White Sox as they struggled in 2024.
"I feel what they felt at that level,” Montgomery said of the 121 losses. “We are a collective group. The guys up there were a little more upset going through it, but we all felt disappointed and upset.”
Montgomery’s goal is to help the White Sox change their trajectory. He was asked if he sees himself at the big league level in March when the regular season opens.
“Yes, I do envision myself playing shortstop for the White Sox in 2025,” he said.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.