Chicago’s trio of Montgomery, Antonacci, and Connor have turned the Arizona Fall League into their own showcase.
The Chicago White Sox sent eight players to the Arizona Fall League — Major League Baseball’s extended-season developmental circuit — to compete against some of the top minor-league talent in the game.
White Sox prospects suit up for the Glendale Desert Dogs, a roster they share with players from the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Braves — four of baseball’s most stable, playoff-caliber organizations.
You’d think that with both pennant-winning teams represented, the best players in Glendale would come from those well-oiled machines. But 21 games into the season, the Desert Dogs are just 6-15, and the best players on the field are wearing White Sox uniforms.
Braden Montgomery Is Everything Chicago Hoped He'd Be
Outfielder Braden Montgomery is the No. 1 prospect in the White Sox organization — and he’s showing exactly why.
Originally a first-round pick by the Boston Red Sox in the 2024 MLB Draft, Montgomery came to Chicago in last offseason’s Garrett Crochet trade. His first pro season was a success at every stop, reaching as high as Double-A before being shut down with an injury.
After missing the start of the Fall League, Montgomery has been unstoppable since returning. In eight games for Glendale, he’s hitting .385 (10-for-26) with a double, triple, homer, and 1.183 OPS, while getting on base nearly 57 percent of the time.
He’s split time between center and right field, and teammates rave about both his play and his personality — one calling him “one of the best dudes I’ve ever met.” Rest assured, White Sox fans. The South Side has a future star on its hands.
Sam Antonacci Just Keeps Hitting
Sam Antonacci doesn’t have Montgomery’s power or flash, but his bat-to-ball skills might be the best in the system. He’s hit at every level of baseball he’s ever played — and the Fall League is no different.
Through 15 games, Antonacci owns a .367 average, building off a 2025 regular season in which he posted an .842 OPS and stole 48 bases. There’s not much pop in his swing, but he’s as reliable a contact hitter as any prospect the White Sox have. He’s the type of player who forces his way onto a big-league roster simply because he won’t stop producing.
Antonacci is the real deal, and that's being recognized more and more with every game he plays.
Caden Connor Is the Surprise Standout
Then there’s Caden Connor, who wasn’t on anyone’s radar coming into the fall.
A 19th-round pick by Chicago in 2023, Connor hit 33 doubles but only seven home runs in his first full season. His 2025 campaign was fine — a .724 OPS with seven homers across three levels — but it didn’t leave anyone feeling like he'd be a future impact player.
Maybe the White Sox saw more. They promoted him aggressively, and from July 12 on, Connor hit .318 with an .837 OPS between stops, earning a late-season stint in Triple-A Charlotte. That surge has carried over to the desert. In 16 games, he’s hitting .365 with eight RBIs and a .918 OPS — more than holding his own among some of baseball’s top prospects.
The numbers don't lie. The Desert Dogs’ batting average leaders tell the story clearly:
- Braden Montgomery (.385)
- Sam Antonacci (.367)
- Caden Connor (.365)
Three White Sox hitters. Three of the top bats on the roster.
It’s been a long few years on the South Side, but performances like these offer genuine hope. Montgomery looks every bit the future franchise cornerstone, Antonacci continues to prove his approach plays anywhere, and Connor is emerging as one of the many late-round finds the Sox have made.
The Arizona Fall League might not count in the standings, but for the White Sox, it’s already been a win.