Grading The White Sox Top Prospects This Season: No. 1, Colson Montgomery

Saving the best for last, Colson Montgomery has the chance to be the highest-ranked overall prospect the White Sox have had in a while. The White Sox first-round pick from 2021, he has proven to be one of Rick Hahn’s best picks. This is even more impressive for both parties, as he was the 22nd overall pick. While he was still a first-round pick, he is performing like a top-10 pick.

After being selected in the 2021 draft, he would make his way to the Arizona Complex League. There he would finish the 2021 season. He would play in 26 games, getting 94 at-bats. In those at-bats, he would hit .287 with no homeurns and seven RBIs. This would accompany a .396 OBP. While he wasn’t getting a bunch of hits, he still was getting on base.

In 2022, he would make his way to the minor leagues, starting with Kannapolis. There he would do very well, hitting .324 with a .424 batting average. There he would hit four home runs and 26 RBIs. This was a great start to his minor league career and the White Sox agreed, as they promoted him to High A.

At Winston-Salem, he would could continue his hot streak. In 37 games, he hit .258 with a .387 OBP. His power continued, as he hit five home runs in fewer games. He would add 14 RBIs and walked as many times as he struck out. This would get him an invitation to Project Birmingham, as all of the White Sox top prospects would gather there to end the season.

In 14 games at Birmingham, he would struggle a bit, as he hit .146 with a .192 OBP. He would add two home runs and seven RBIs. He did strikeout 15 times as opposed to two walks so it wasn’t a great experience, but he was on his third level of the year so it was understandable.

This year, unfortunately, Montgomery was injured in the beginning, so he was limited to 64 games overall on the season. Between rookie ball, Winston-Salem, and Birmingham, he hit .287 with a .455 OBP. He added eight home runs and 37 RBIs. The most impressive stat was the walks-to-strikeout ratio. He walked as much as he struck out, as he had 56 walks and 56 strikeouts. These are elite numbers that will get him far in the major leagues.

While he struggled a bit in Birmingham compared to the other levels, he still had a solid output. I would still grade him out as an A for the season, as he was the most impressive Sox prospect they had. Currently, in the Arizona Fall League, he is hitting .254 with a .292 OBP. He has three home runs and 17 RBIs over 67 at-bats. Not the best output, but he has battled injury throughout the season.

I am excited to see how he performs in 2024 and depending on what happens with Tim Anderson, he could get some playing time in the major leagues. Otherwise, he looks to start at AA with an early promotion to AAA on the table. He should be the next young phenom to join the team in Chicago.