As the dawn of the 2026 MLB season approaches, several major media outlets have begun releasing their top 100 prospect lists for the new season. MLB Pipeline’s updated list features five White Sox players, each with their own expectation for 2026. With slugging outfielder Braden Montgomery leading the charge, many outlets see the White Sox as an up-and-coming team with a strong farm system. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel’s list, however, was not as kind to the White Sox, and specifically Montgomery.
McDaniel’s list features just three White Sox players, with SS Billy Carlson barely and LHP Noah Schultz cracking the list, and Montgomery left off the list completely. In my opinion, it’s an egregious omission with virtually no justification for it.
Montgomery impressed during his debut season
2025 was the first professional season for Montgomery, who missed the end of his draft season after a broken leg in the College World Series. Widely regarded as a hit-over-power outfielder coming out of college, Montgomery’s .270 batting average and .360 on-base percentage exceeded expectations. He only hit 12 home runs, but slugged 34 doubles and proved himself as a legitimate extra-base threat. Montgomery posted a 1.161 OPS during a 12-game sample in the Arizona Fall League to finish the season, showing out against strong competition. A switch-hitter, Montgomery showed above-average hitting ability from both sides of the plate and ability to drive the ball to all fields.
MLB's No. 35 overall prospect Braden Montgomery (@WhiteSox) gets the scoring going in Glendale's quarterfinal game with an RBI double to right 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YGiWApjEUQ
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) November 13, 2025
Montgomery wasn’t a perfect player by any means. He struck out 25% of the time in 2025, a mark that he’d like to improve on in 2026. He’d certainly like to tap more into his power as well, as he’s flashed 25-30 home run power in the past but seemed to sacrifice a bit of it to make more contact.
Overall, though, there’s no logical reason for ESPN to leave Montgomery completely off their top 100 list. He showed all the tools the White Sox hoped for when they acquired him, and he reached the Double-A level in his first pro season. Montgomery will turn 23 in April, and there’s a reasonable chance he makes his big league debut at some point in 2026.
No prospect is ever a guarantee, and Montgomery will need to continue to post strong numbers at the upper levels of the minor leagues and ultimately in Chicago, but there’s no statistical reason for his omission from the Top 100 list. The White Sox, and many other outlets, are very high on his future as an everyday big leaguer and a staple in the middle of the White Sox lineup.
MLB Spring Training opens in just a couple weeks, where Braden Montgomery will have a chance to earn respect on the field and silence his newfound critics.