Major League Baseball announced the 2025 award finalists on Monday night, including the finalists for MVP, Rookie Of The Year, Cy Young, and Manager of the Year. For the White Sox, a rebuilding team without a definite star player, the representation in the nominees was expected to be minimal. With rookie phenom Colson Montgomery taking the league by storm in 2025, one award to watch for the White Sox was the AL Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately, the nominees have been revealed, and Montgomery is not among the AL selections.
The nominees for the American League include: Athletics 1B Nick Kurtz, the heavy favorite to win the award, as well as his teammate Jacob Wilson and Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony. For Kurtz and Wilson, the nomination was expected and well-deserved. Kurtz became one of the premier sluggers in the American League in his first season, and Wilson’s .313 average was tied for the second best in all of baseball. An argument can be made, however, that Colson Montgomery should’ve been a finalist over Roman Anthony.
The case for Colson
Roman Anthony played in 71 games for the Red Sox this season, hitting .292 with eight home runs and an impressive .396 on-base percentage. He primarily played right field for the Red Sox, with some games in left-field and as a DH as well, and his numbers were worth 2.7 fWAR. Montgomery, on the other hand, played 60 of his 71 games at shortstop, and although the average (.239) and OBP (.311) weren’t at Anthony’s level, Colson’s 21 second-half home runs were an incredibly impressive feat. Montgomery’s surprisingly good defense at a premiere position opened some eyes as well. Overall, Montgomery’s season was also worth 2.7 fWAR, making the decision between him and Anthony remarkably difficult. Anthony had a more well-rounded season at the plate, but Montgomery had the more impressive power numbers. In my opinion, the player with the historic power surge should’ve had the edge.
In this case, it seems like the tiebreaker may have been prospect pedigree and quality of teams. The Red Sox made the playoffs in 2025, while the White Sox finished last in the American League Central with 102 losses. It’s very possible that this was a factor in making the decision. Roman Anthony also opened the 2025 season as the number one prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. Montgomery was on and off the list after his early struggles in the minor leagues. Anthony was likely on the radar of more evaluators and voters, putting him ahead of Montgomery in the voting.
It’s a bummer for Montgomery and White Sox fans to not see his historic second half recognized, but the White Sox know the talent Montgomery has and the type of player he’ll be. Montgomery has the talent to be a franchise cornerstone for the White Sox and a star player in Major League Baseball. His future is bright, and losing out on a Rookie of the Year nomination will be insignificant when Montgomery becomes a perennial All-Star and one day receives votes for MVP.