The White Sox are closing in on a postseason berth, and Colson Montgomery sits right at the center of the push.
Chicago owns a two-game cushion over the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central with fewer than three weeks left in the regular season, a far cry from the club that lost 121 games just two seasons ago. A trip to October would be the White Sox’s first since 2021, and Montgomery has been a major reason they’ve gotten this far.
The 24-year-old is in his first full season in the Majors, and the power has been impossible to miss. As Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter wrote, "In his first full season in the big leagues, Colson Montgomery leads all shortstops with 31 home runs.
He also leads the AL with 197 strikeouts, and has batted .212/.292/.437 for a 102 OPS+ despite that power production," Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter wrote. "So while his impact has been loud, it has also been largely one-dimensional."
That’s the tension for Montgomery as the postseason nears. The White Sox can live with the thunder when it shows up, but October usually asks for more than one huge swing. Runs get tighter, mistakes get magnified, and moving runners can matter just as much as launching one.
Montgomery’s strikeout total is one obvious area to clean up. So is his chase rate, which sits at 32.6% on pitches outside the strike zone. That kind of approach has led to weak contact and plenty of swing-and-miss.
Better plate discipline would give Chicago a more complete version of its shortstop at exactly the right time. The White Sox are trying to reach the ALCS for the first time since 2005, and while Montgomery has the kind of pop that can flip a series in one at-bat, Chicago will need him to be more than a power source if it wants to keep going.
In Other News...
Former White Sox Arm Abruptly Walks Away At 28
Jacob Heatherlys brief run in the White Sox organization looked like a fresh start when he signed a minor league deal in January and opened the season with solid work in Double-A Birmingham. The left-hander had enough early success to put himself back on the radar, but the season turned once his command slipped and Chicago moved on, releasing him on July 23.
Heatherly then made the sudden decision to step away from the game entirely, announcing his retirement from professional baseball on Sept. 8 at just 28. His career spanned seven minor league seasons, leaving him with a 14-17 record, a 5.45 ERA and 285 strikeouts across 213 innings, a reminder of how quickly a pitchers path can shift from opportunity to closure. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Could Gamble On Risky Rotation Fix This Winter
The White Sox are still searching for ways to shore up the front of their rotation after adding Luis Castillo, and the offseason pitching market could push them toward a more aggressive swing. CBS Sports' Mike Axisa recently connected Chicago to free agent right-hander Freddy Peralta, a name that fits the kind of affordable upgrade the club may have to consider if it wants to keep improving without overcommitting long term.
Peralta is the sort of arm that can make a front office pause and then think again. His recent results have been uneven, but the track record is strong enough to keep him on the radar as a high-risk, high-reward target for a White Sox team still looking for reliable starting help. If Chicago decides to bet on upside this winter, this is the type of move that could define the rotation conversation. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Could Be Haunted By A Familiar Arm This October
Garrett Crochets name is hanging over October again, and for White Sox fans it is a reminder that one of the more familiar arms in the organizations recent past could still surface in the postseason. The Boston Red Sox stumbled early before getting steadier after a managerial change, and part of their late push has been the possibility of adding Crochet back into the mix if he is healthy enough to help out of the bullpen.
Chris Getz has already acknowledged what that could mean if Crochet does make it back and looks like himself, which is why this storyline has a little extra bite for Chicago. Crochet has not appeared at the major league level since April 25, but if Boston gets him back in October, the White Sox may end up seeing a pitcher they know well in a setting where every clean inning matters. [Read more 🡒]