If you watched Sunday’s series finale against the San Diego Padres, you probably got as frustrated as I did watching Luisangel Acuna’s uncompetitive at bat against Mason Miller in the ninth inning. Acuna struck out on three pitches with the tying run on second, preventing the White Sox from sweeping the series in San Diego. Unfortunately, uncompetitive at bats have been the story of Acuna’s season, and White Sox fans are certainly ready for the team to pull the plug on the whole experiment. With the news of Braden Montgomery’s promotion to Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday, White Sox fans got a glimmer of hope that the Acuna days may be numbered.
White Sox say Braden Montgomery is going up to Triple-A Charlotte
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) May 3, 2026
Montgomery, 23, is in his second season with the White Sox organization after being acquired in the Garrett Crochet trade last winter. Across three minor league levels in 2025, Montgomery hit .270 with an .804 OPS and 12 home runs. He began this season with Double-A Birmingham and slashed .313/.429/.606 with six home runs and a 1.035 OPS in 27 games before his promotion. He won Southern League Player of the Week earlier in April. A switch-hitter, Montgomery has demonstrated the ability to hit for both contact and power from both sides of the plate. His strikeout rate remains elevated, but he walks enough that he can still be an effective hitter. Many scouts believed Montgomery would end up in right field in the big leagues, but the White Sox seem to be at least exploring the idea of him playing center. He started 45 games in center in 2025 and has played 14 there this season.
Montgomery's imminent debut could spell the end for Acuna
Montgomery’s call-up to Charlotte puts him just one step away from his major league debut, which will likely come this season. Charlotte plays in a much more hitter-friendly environment than Birmingham, so Montgomery could easily take his offensive production up a notch and force the issue even sooner than expected. Veteran outfielder Austin Hays is on a one-year deal and is a likely trade candidate, so Montgomery could conceivably take his spot on the roster. But should he come up sooner, I think this could signify the end of the Luisangel Acuna era.
Acuna, 24, was acquired from the Mets in the Luis Robert Jr. trade this offseason, and he hasn’t had the offensive bounce-back the White Sox hoped for. The converted infielder is hitting just .169 with a .417 OPS in 77 at-bats and hasn’t played particularly great outfield defense. It makes sense why the White Sox chose to prioritize his at bats early in the season, but it’s at the point where he’s actively hurting the team with his lack of production, so it’s time to move on. Between Derek Hill, Tristan Peters, a healthy Everson Pereira, and Braden Montgomery, the White Sox will have plenty of options who can play center field and have no need to keep giving Acuna playing time.
With a few injuries in the outfield, it feels like Acuna’s job is safe for the time being. But Braden Montgomery’s promotion to Charlotte was overdue, and it won’t be long before he’s forcing his way to the big leagues. When the time comes for Montgomery to head to Chicago, Luisangel Acuna could be the odd-man out, leaving White Sox fans to rejoice for more than one reason.
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