Many Chicago White Sox rookies showed promise in 2025 and left fans with genuine reasons for optimism. But none stood out more than Colson Montgomery, whose rookie campaign truly defied the odds.

Back in May, Montgomery was struggling mightily in the minor leagues. He’d fallen out of MLB’s Top 100 prospect rankings, and White Sox fans were beginning to wonder if he’d ever make his Major League debut. That’s when the organization stepped in — pulling him from game action and sending him to the spring training complex in Arizona to work on his swing mechanics with director of hitting Ryan Fuller.

That reset made all the difference. Montgomery returned to Triple-A Charlotte with a refined approach. While it wasn’t perfect, he was driving the ball with authority and showing real signs of progress. The White Sox didn’t baby him — they rewarded him.

Montgomery was promoted and made his Major League debut for the White Sox on July 4 in Colorado. Shortly after the All-Star break, he met with Fuller again to review biomechanical data from his swing. Together, they realized that based on his contact points, he could benefit from trying a torpedo bat. That adjustment proved to be the turning point.

From that moment on, Montgomery mashed. He hit 21 home runs the rest of the way and quickly became one of the most feared hitters in the league. By season’s end, he’d put himself firmly on the radar as one of baseball’s best rookies.

AL Rookie of the Year Snub

Even though Nick Kurtz of the Athletics ran away with the AL Rookie of the Year award, Montgomery’s season unquestionably deserved national recognition. But when MLB announced the finalists for its major awards on Monday night, Montgomery’s name was nowhere to be found.

The three AL Rookie of the Year finalists were Kurtz, Jacob Wilson (also of the Athletics), and Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony.

Let’s take a look at the numbers.

Montgomery and Anthony each played 71 games in 2025. Their sample sizes were nearly identical — Anthony had 257 at-bats to Montgomery’s 255. Their OPS numbers were nearly the same (.859 for Anthony, .840 for Montgomery). But that’s where the similarities end.

Montgomery hit 21 home runs to Anthony’s eight and drove in 55 runs to Anthony’s 32. They posted identical fWARs (2.7), yet Montgomery played a more premium defensive position and graded out as the stronger fielder. In Baseball-Reference WAR, Montgomery held a 3.3 to 3.1 edge.

By almost every statistical measure, Montgomery had the stronger season.

You could make a very solid argument for Montgomery over Jacob Wilson as well. Wilson’s bWAR sat at 2.9 — 0.4 lower than Montgomery’s — despite playing 54 more games. He hit eight fewer home runs, posted an OPS 40 points lower, and drove in only eight more runs despite over 200 additional at-bats.

They play the same position, and Montgomery is the more valuable defender. So why is Wilson a finalist, and possibly the runner-up, while Montgomery isn’t in the top three?

Name Recognition and Market Bias

It comes down to name recognition — and market size.

Roman Anthony entered the season as baseball’s top overall prospects and plays for one of its biggest brands, the Boston Red Sox. Media bias has long favored the East Coast, where a majority of national writers are based.

As for Wilson, he was a hot name early in the season after a strong start and never left the national conversation. He even started the All-Star Game at shortstop — a midseason honor that seemed to lock in his status as a finalist, even as his performance dipped in the second half.

Wilson hit .257 with a .696 OPS after July 1, but his early production gave him an auto bid into the top three vote getters. 

For White Sox fans, it’s frustrating. This organization doesn’t have much to celebrate right now, but Colson Montgomery’s breakout has been one of the few bright spots. His story — from struggling prospect to breakout rookie — embodies everything fans have wanted to see from this rebuild: growth, resilience, and legitimate star potential.

He might not be a Rookie of the Year finalist. But make no mistake — Colson Montgomery proved in 2025 that he’s the real deal. The rest of the league might not have noticed yet, but the South Side of Chicago certainly has.