No. 3 prospect Montgomery shows off new approach in AFL

This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- There could be some change in opinion concerning Colson Montgomery, the No. 3 White Sox prospect and No. 37 overall per MLB Pipeline, after producing subpar overall numbers during his 2024 season with Triple-A Charlotte.

That sort of scrutiny comes with the territory for the top position player prospect in the organization, who is coming off his first struggles as a professional athlete. But those judgements don’t register for a 22-year-old left-handed hitter who seems to be upbeat and confident.

“Everyone has opinions. I don’t really care what other people’s opinions are. It’s not the opinion I have on myself. So I think that’s first and foremost,” Montgomery told MLB.com during a weekend interview from Arizona. “I just want to come out here and show everyone, 'Yeah, people suck sometimes. It’s a tough game. It’s a hard game.'

“But I’m going to come out here and play the game I have been playing for however many years, since I’ve been in pro ball. I’m more locked in now, because I have a little motivation and a little fire that was built up basically because everyone thinks, ‘Bad year, you are not as good,’ or ‘You are not the same.’”

“Here” presently for Montgomery is the Arizona Fall League, where he’s suiting up with the Glendale Desert Dogs for a second straight year. Injuries limited Montgomery to 292 plate appearances in 2023, so the AFL follow-up made perfect sense, where he won Most Valuable Player of the Fall Stars Game.

Montgomery played his first full season in 2024, featuring 573 plate appearances for the Knights, but he struggled to a final slash line of .214/.329/.381 to go with 18 home runs, 21 doubles, 63 RBIs, 66 runs scored and 69 walks against 164 strikeouts. These uneven times could help Montgomery as he re-focuses for a '25 Major League opportunity, especially after figuring out things in-season from a physical, preparation and mental standpoint.

His revelations began with a five-person Zoom meeting in early August, involving White Sox hitting coach personnel and Montgomery’s hitting guys trying to figure out what could be done to help him find success. Beginning with a 3-for-4 showing on Aug. 24, Montgomery finished at .263/.357/.465 over his final 99 at-bats.

“I really put the emphasis in my head that I was going to do whatever it took to get out of it and prepare myself the best that I can every single day. After that, I really have taken real serious [steps] with my work and preparation,” Montgomery said. “I wouldn’t say I got away from thinking I was a top guy. I never think that.

“I’m not being arrogant in saying that, ‘Oh, I’m the best.’ But in a game like this, in a professional sport, you have to think that way. If you don’t, you are just going to sell yourself short. I always knew I had it in me. I had a mental cue that kind of just switched.”

Montgomery’s first defensive experience at third base has come via five starts for Glendale during October against just one start at shortstop. But he remains a shortstop moving forward.

In eight games and 31 plate appearances for the Desert Dogs, Montgomery has a .400/.613/.650 slash line with one homer, four stolen bases and most importantly, nine walks against one strikeout for a player always possessing an advanced plate approach. It’s a small sample size, but the changes clearly are working with Montgomery trying to win games and play hard instead of chasing results.

“It was tough. It was frustrating to say the least,” Montgomery said. “A lot of my at-bats I took in frustration and trying to hit myself out of what I was going through. But once again, this is a learning experience. It’s part of the development.

“You see kids go up who never struggled in the Minor Leagues, and they go in the big leagues, and they struggle. It’s like, ‘How are they going to respond?’ Even though up there the microscope is really on you. It sucked to say the least. You don’t ever want to be playing bad. You want to play good for the organization and you want to play good for the fans.

“At the end of the day, it’s about what I do and what I can do to change that. It’s out of everyone else’s control,” Montgomery added. “It’s all about trusting the process and trusting that things are going to turn and get better.”