July 4 marks one year since Colson Montgomery made his MLB debut, and he has already established himself as an All-Star caliber shortstop and a cornerstone of the White Sox future.
July 4, 2026, marks not just another Independence Day, but the 250th anniversary of the United States.
It's also a significant day in the Chicago White Sox world. As the Sox take on the Cleveland Guardians, looking to fight back after a rough start to the four-game series, shortstop Colson Montgomery celebrates the one-year anniversary of his MLB debut.
After being pulled from game action in 2025 and sent to the spring training complex in Arizona to work on his swing, Montgomery had returned to Triple-A by the middle of May. While he showed flashes of success upon his return, we still hadn't seen Colson display much consistency at the plate. However, at the end of June, a hot stretch with the bat gave the White Sox reason to bring Montgomery up for his MLB debut and see if he could carry that confidence over to the big leagues.
He made his debut on July 4 in Colorado, and the rest is history. In 71 appearances during the 2025 season, Colson Montgomery launched 21 home runs, established himself as one of the best young shortstops in the sport, and even received some support for AL Rookie of the Year.
Now here we are, a full trip around the sun later, and I think it's worth looking back on what Colson has brought to the White Sox on the anniversary of his debut.
Over the last few weeks, Montgomery has been criticized by some for his situational hitting and performance at the plate. He is 3-for-22 with nine strikeouts over his last five games, and he made a critical error on Friday night that allowed Cleveland to score a game-tying run.
Baseball is, foolishly, often viewed through a “what have you done for me lately?” lens. But as we've seen with Montgomery many times before, the hot streaks and cold spells come in waves. And while he hasn't been hitting the cover off the ball recently, I want to take the time to appreciate Montgomery's White Sox career in the aggregate and how much the organization has changed since he first appeared on a big league field.
That's the context that I often feel is lost.
Since July 4, 2025, the Chicago White Sox have played exactly 162 regular season games. They are 77-85 in those games since Montgomery joined the team. That may not seem significant, but given the 41-121 record in 2024 and a 23-52 start in 2025, a ridiculous amount of progress has been made in such a short amount of time.
Colson Montgomery is a big reason for that. He has played in 154 of those 162 games. He's been durable and available. And in the "one full season" that he's been at the MLB level, Montgomery has 42 home runs, 104 RBIs, 5.1 fWAR, and has ranked in the top 10% of defenders in outs above average.
All of this from a left-handed hitting shortstop who won't turn 24 years old until February of next year.
In his current state, Montgomery is a worthy All-Star. He's currently Chicago's leader in home runs with 21. He plays a premium position, and he's one of the faces of the organization. So while it can be easy to ride the lows and bash Montgomery for his imperfections, the player that we've seen him become at such a young age is unquestionably a rising star.
And if we consider his age and the raw talent that's been on display, I think it's safe to assume we haven't seen Colson Montgomery hit his true ceiling yet. As he matures, he should improve with runners in scoring position and lower the strikeout rate a tick.
White Sox fans tend to hold Montgomery to the standard of an MLB superstar when just 365 days ago, he was making his MLB debut as a complete unknown variable. So as he steps onto Progressive Field in Cleveland on Saturday night, remember how far Colson has come over the last year, everything that he's brought to the White Sox, and how much room he still has to grow.
He's an All-Star right now and a superstar in the making. And as we celebrate the anniversary of his debut, that's never been more apparent, even if he's not red hot at the plate.
