Braden Montgomery is the highest-rated prospect in the Chicago White Sox farm system.

The 22-year-old switch-hitting outfielder — a former first-round pick by the Boston Red Sox — came over in the Garrett Crochet trade this offseason and made a whale of a first impression on the South Side.

Montgomery started the year in Kannapolis. By the end of July, he was in Double-A Birmingham. And it didn’t matter what level he was at — Montgomery was driving the ball to all fields and showing exactly why MLB.com ranks him as the No. 35 prospect in all of baseball.

In 121 minor league games this season, Montgomery hit .270 with 12 home runs, 34 doubles, four triples, 14 stolen bases, and an .804 OPS.

Unfortunately, Montgomery went on the shelf at the start of September, cutting his regular season short in Birmingham. The White Sox remained optimistic, though, that he could get some extra at-bats in the Arizona Fall League once healthy enough to return.

That return finally came Tuesday night, when Montgomery suited up for the Glendale Desert Dogs — and it was worth the wait.

On his very first swing back, Montgomery launched a missile to center field that sailed over the defender’s head for a stand-up double. It left the bat at 110.2 mph with a 17-degree launch angle. Not a bad way to reintroduce yourself.

Montgomery followed that up with three consecutive walks, reaching base every time he stepped to the plate. He finished the night with an RBI and a run scored.

“I feel like I executed the plan really well today,” Montgomery said after the game. “That’s the thing about baseball — you take off the cleats, and then you’ve got to go do it again tomorrow. I’m glad I had the time off to reset and think about how I want to go about things. And now I’m glad to be back on the field.”

The White Sox have quietly built a promising core — a strong catching tandem, a budding star at shortstop, and a wave of pitching depth throughout the organization.

A big reason for that revival is the Crochet trade. Chase Meidroth gives Chicago the kind of stability at second base that’s eluded the franchise for a decade. Kyle Teel looks like an All-Star in the making and has already emerged as one of the team’s young leaders at the big-league level.

But even with those great returns, Montgomery might end up being the best of the bunch.

He’s got the tools to hit 30-plus home runs in the majors, with a polished offensive approach from both sides of the plate. He also owns a cannon of an arm and fills a massive organizational need for young, impact outfielders.

Every time he steps into the box in Arizona this fall, it’s must-see TV for White Sox fans — a live look at what the future could be.

His return on Tuesday made a statement. It issued a reminder to Sox fans about who the next star on the South Side is. Braden Montgomery is legit. He looks like the kind of player a franchise can start to build around.