Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery has had a confusing season to say the least, and made history in Thursday’s game.
Montgomery went 0-for-4 in the White Sox’s 9-1 rout over the Royals, logging one strikeout—his 223rd of the season. With 223 strikeouts on the year, Montgomery broke the Chicago White Sox single-season record previously held by Adam Dunn with 222, and tied the MLB all-time single-season record held by Mark Reynolds.
Despite the ridiculous number of strikeouts he gathered this year, he hasn’t been completely useless for the White Sox at the plate. Montgomery is a two-true outcomes player, crushing 31 homers on the year and driving in 87 runs. Despite his slug, though, he has just a .696 OPS on the year. His 31 homers are the eighth most in the American League,
Montgomery’s hitting profile may be one of the weirdest in MLB at the moment, but his glove more than makes up for any deficiencies at the plate. He has a plus-10 fielding run value, ranking in the top 10% of MLB, and his 11 outs above average rank in the top 3%.
While his bat could raise some concerns, if he learns to be more disciplined at the plate, Montgomery could be a key player for the White Sox for years to come.
Where Did Colson Montgomery Come From?
Montgomery broke onto the scene in 2025, making his MLB debut just before the All-Star break.
He played 71 games for the team before the end of the year, and showed flashes of brilliance over the course of his time in the bigs. He hit 21 homers and drove in 55 RBIs last year, and while the strikeouts were still a bit of a problem, he had a .840 OPS and a passable on-base percentage of .311.
The shortstop made his debut too late to earn any accolades like Rookie of the Year or Silver Slugger, but earned a spot on the Baseball America Major League All-Rookie Team.
Last year showed Montgomery has the potential to be a top player in MLB, and if he improves before the 2027 season, the postseason-bound White Sox could remain in contention and potentially be a threat to take home the World Series with their talented young squad.