(670 The Score) The White Sox hope to have a star for their future in prized shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery, who's rated as the No. 9 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline's recently released rankings.
When Montgomery's time at the MLB level begins remains uncertain, but White Sox general manager Chris Getz indicated that Montgomery is close to getting the call-up to the big leagues.
“He’s moved along quicker than we thought,” Getz said on Inside the Clubhouse on Saturday. “And the really talented ones can do that. That’s including some smaller injuries that he’s had along the way, and that just speaks to the individual, the makeup, obviously the physical talent. Last year was so fun to watch him. He was A ball, then Double-A, then in the (Arizona Fall League) and continues to impress. He controls the zone. He makes good swing decisions. He’s always been very comfortable in the box. His defense at shortstop continues to improve. Guys like that, you hate to cap them.
"We’ll come into spring training and see what he looks like. But the way things are trending, I don’t think he’s too far off of being at the major league level. Just a really exciting player.”
Montgomery, who will turn 22 in February, was selected with the No. 22 overall pick by the White Sox in the 2021 MLB Draft. He hit .287 with a .940 OPS in 64 games across three levels in the minor leagues in the 2023 season.
Earlier this offseason, the White Sox signed veteran shortstop Paul DeJong to a one-year deal. That makes him a candidate to open the 2024 season as the team's starting shortstop, but Montgomery’s performance in spring training could impact that decision.
The White Sox will open the regular season by hosting the Detroit Tigers on March 28 at Guaranteed Rate Field.