White Sox star Colson Montgomery named the best rookie shortstop in baseball

It feels like ages ago that Chicago White Sox rookie shortstop Colson Montgomery was pulled from game action and sent to Arizona to work on his mechanics after batting just .160 in the minor leagues.

It wasn’t ages ago, however, it was only May 5 of this year, just over four months ago. Since then, not only has Montgomery returned to Triple-A action, but he made his Major League debut on July 4, and has impacted the White Sox in a huge way since his arrival. 

Since Montgomery’s July debut, he’s hitting .226 with 19 home runs and 51 RBIs in 67 games. His OPS stands right at .800 in his rookie season. It hasn’t been perfect for Montgomery, but his 19 homers put him on a 46-homer pace in a full season, and driving in 51 runs in 67 games is also a remarkable feat.

Montgomery’s success seems to coincide with his switching to a torpedo bat shortly after the All-Star break. Colson's play has answered many of the questions about his defense as well. He currently sits with an OAA of six (6), which puts him in the 93rd percentile for shortstops in baseball. 

Colson Montgomery gets recognized as the best rookie shortstop

Colson’s tear has put him on the national radar, and he’s begun to grab the attention of players and evaluators around the league.

MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince became the latest national baseball reporter to add Colson to an elite list. Castrovince released his list of top players at each position to make their big league debut in 2025, with Montgomery as the shortstop listed. 

With Athletics rookie Nick Kurtz dominating the Major League level, it’s unlikely that Colson Montgomery has any shot to win AL Rookie of the Year, but I still expect him to earn a few votes.

Regardless, to go from being pulled from minor league games to getting Rookie of the Year votes at the big league level is an extraordinary accomplishment.

Montgomery has a few areas that need improvement in the year to come. Taking more walks, laying off bad pitches, and making more contact on fastballs are among them, but he’ll get an offseason where he doesn’t need to feel pressure to earn his spot for the first time. He’ll be able to focus on those specific areas this winter. 

Many of Montgomery's minor league struggles may have been mental, so having a low-pressure offseason should be great for his development.

Montgomery will look to finish the season strong as the White Sox wrap up their final week of games, and he’ll head into 2026 looking to develop into the superstar the White Sox know he’s capable of becoming.