The Chicago White Sox have had many talented rookies over the past 11 years, but no rookie has been better than former first baseman/designated hitter José Abreu.
Abreu burst on the scene in 2014 for the White Sox after defecting from Cuba, played in 145 games, hit 36 home runs, won the American League Rookie of the Year award, and was named an All-Star. He also won a Silver Slugger and finished fourth in AL MVP voting as a rookie.
Abreu, who will return to Rate Field later this month to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, hasn’t played a game for the White Sox since the end of the 2022 season, signing a three-year deal with the Houston Astros in the offseason heading into 2023.
2014 Jose Abreu was one of the best rookie seasons in baseball history. His 173 OPS+ is the highest by a first-year player in baseball history. However, that record looks to be in jeopardy, as Athletics' Nick Kurtz is currently at 180 in his impressive rookie season.
The 2025 White Sox have a lot of fun rookies in their won right. Two Sox players made it on Bleacher Report’s list for the best rookies form each team. One represented the White Sox, and the other was made an honorable mention.
The best rookies for the 2025 Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have many rookies on their roster who could have been named their best rookies, but Colson Montgomery stands out above the rest.
Montgomery has put together a great rookie season in his short stint in the big leagues. He’s likely to finish behind Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, but he should definitely be in the conversation.
In 49 games and 179 at-bats, Montgomery has 16 home runs and 39 RBIs. He has also played elite defense at shortstop, giving him 1.6 fWAR in such a small amount of time.
"Montgomery saw his prospect star fade a bit during a disappointing 2024 season, and he got off to a similarly slow start this year before catching fire at the end of June and earning his first MLB call-up wrote Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report. "He has made an immediate offensive impact for the South Siders, and his defensive metrics (6 DRS, 4 OAA) have also been rock solid at shortstop.” (Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report).
Shane Smith, one of the bright spots to come out of the Rule 5 Draft last winter, was named an honorable mention. Smith was also the White Sox's lone All-Star this season.
Had it not been for Montgomery's recent breakout, Smith would have been a no-doubt choice. He looked like a contender for AL Rookie of the Year in his own right after the first few months of the season. He has a 3.87 ERA in 120.1 innings pitched on the year.
More White Sox rookies that deserve attention
It’s obvious Montgomery is the clear-cut favorite named as the White Sox's top rookie, as he has completely turned his status around from being a bust to a future star. It was a surprise that Smith received the honorable mention, given his ups and downs, but he has turned things on lately.
The White Sox have other rookies on the roster who are performing well, and could’ve been named honorable mentions over Smith: Chase Meidroth, Grant Taylor, Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, or even Mike Vasil come to mind.
Vasil has a 2.57 ERA in 91 innings this season this season. Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero look like one of the best catching duos in baseball.
The fact that there are this many White Sox rookies deserving of attention is a great sign for things to come.