In a series of promotions at the end of July, the Chicago White Sox finally moved up top prospect Braden Montgomery to Double-A Birmingham.
Montgomery, 22, started the 2025 season in Low-A Kannapolis after being acquired in an off-season trade from the Boston Red Sox.
Garrett Crochet went to Boston in the deal, and the White Sox got a package of four prospects. Montgomery is the guy with the highest ceiling of the four.
Montgomery has hit at every level this season
Kannapolis was an understandable place for Montgomery to start given that 2025 was his first taste of professional baseball.
Despite being the 12th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Montgomery never suited up with the Red Sox organization. A broken ankle sidelined him after the draft, and he was traded during the offseason.
After 18 games in Kannapolis, the White Sox moved Montgomery to High-A Winston-Salem. In 69 games with the Dash, Montgomery had eight (8) home runs, 17 doubles, three (3) triples and an OPS of .793.
He certainly gave White Sox fans and the organization a lot to be excited about, but it’s hard to fully back a prospect until they are producing in the higher levels of the minor leagues. After earning his place in Birmingham, Montgomery is once again putting up numbers and proving why he is the No. 1 prospect in the White Sox organization, according to MLB Pipeline.
Montgomery is red hot in Double-A
After 11 games in Birmingham, Braden Montgomery had a .214 batting average and an OPS of .553. However, in his last four games, Montgomery is 9-for-16 with six doubles.
The hot streak has raised his Double-A batting average to .310 and his OPS to .851. On the season at large, he has 12 home runs, 63 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and an .819 OPS.
Braden Montgomery leads off the T7 with a double, his 2nd hit of the game. #Barons pic.twitter.com/k6wZZCFU0W
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) August 15, 2025
It’s not hard to see why he’s the No. 33 prospect in all of baseball and No. 1 prospect in the White Sox organization after a recent update.
Let’s not forget that Montgomery also has a 70-grade arm from the outfield and a 60-grade power tool that should develop into 28-33 home runs in the big leagues (via Baseball America).
Braden Montgomery is the most important piece of the puzzle
Braden Montgomery is the gem of White Sox rebuild 2.0. The young core has already shown so much promise at the big league level in 2025, but players like Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, and Chase Meidroth are above-average regulars and potential future All-Stars, but not superstars.
The only players currently in the White Sox organization with that legitimate superstar upside are the Montgomerys (Colson and Braden). I suppose you could also make an argument for Billy Carlson or Caleb Bonemer.
Colson Montgomery’s 10 home runs since his MLB debut on July 4 show that he has an elite power tool at a premium position. He’s also played a good shortstop.
If Braden Montgomery is a corner outfielder that hits 30 home runs, steals 20 bags, and plays really solid defense, he’ll be the face of White Sox baseball in no time.
I’m becoming more optimistic every day after seeing what Braden has done in Birmingham since being promoted.