White Sox fans took to Twitter during Monday night’s tough loss at the hands of the Cubs after John Schriffen’s comment about outfielder Braden Montgomery. At the end of an inning before the commercial, Schriffen mentioned that Braden Montgomery was having an “outstanding” season, leading White Sox fans to debate Montgomery’s achievements on the internet. Schriffen has been a figure of much controversy since the White Sox hired him in 2024, and some of the criticism about reading the room is certainly justified, however, picking apart his comment about Montgomery is not only unfair to Schriffen, but unfair to Montgomery as well.
Objectively speaking, Montgomery’s numbers aren’t “outstanding” on the surface. Through 206 at bats entering Tuesday, Montgomery is slashing .238/.331/.374 with four homers. Those numbers aren’t going to win him any awards, but his .705 OPS has been serviceable. The traditional numbers don’t reflect it, but Montgomery has been one of the more clutch hitters in the White Sox lineup as well. Fangraph’s Clutch Rating statistic has Montgomery ranked fifth on the team, behind Andrew Benintendi, Tristan Peters, Munetaka Murakami, and Randal Grichuk, all of whom have been on the roster for months longer than Montgomery. He’s posted solid hard-hit numbers and has a decent eye at the plate, so he’ll just need to work on making more contact and getting his bat speed up.
BRADEN MONTGOMERY HITS A WALK-OFF HOMER IN HIS MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT! pic.twitter.com/ifxPs2t57F
— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2026
Braden Montgomery brings more than just offensive potential
Montgomery’s value has stretched beyond his contributions at the plate. On defense, he’s been a strong option in right field, posting 2 OAA, which ranks in the 77th percentile at the position. Montgomery’s arm also grades well, and his above-average speed makes him a pretty well-rounded player. At just 23 years-old and in his first big league season, there’s plenty of room for Montgomery to develop as a hitter and become a true centerpiece in the White Sox lineup. His talent is obvious to anyone watching, and I believe that’s what John Schriffen means when he says Montgomery is having an “outstanding” season.
If there’s an area that Montgomery needs to focus on for improvement, it’s hitting against left-handers. The switch-hitter has been much stronger against right-handed pitching this season, with an OPS of .779 compared to just .524 against southpaws. He’s always been stronger hitting left-handed, but he’ll need to work on closing the gap in his splits or risk being relegated to a platoon role in the future.
With his combination of speed, defense, and power potential, Braden Montgomery is one of the most exciting young hitters in the White Sox organization. It’s fair to say he isn’t perfect and has room for improvement, but to say he hasn’t been standing out would be unfair. Montgomery is well on his way to becoming a core member of the White Sox lineup for years to come, even if his first season has been imperfect.
Add us as a preferred source on Google