Colson Montgomery Bio
Colson Kade Montgomery (born February 27, 2002) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball. Montgomery rose through the White Sox farm system after being selected in the first round of the 2021 MLB draft and made his major league debut in 2025.
Known for his athletic background and multi-sport youth career, Montgomery combined speed, developing power and defensive versatility to earn a role as the White Sox starting shortstop by the beginning of the 2026 season. His rise included rapid promotions through Single-A, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A before his July 2025 call-up.
Early Life and Background
Colson Kade Montgomery was born in Holland, Indiana, and raised in the same community before attending Southridge High School in Huntingburg, Indiana. At Southridge, he played football, basketball and baseball, and he also competed in AAU basketball for Pocket City Basketball in Evansville, Indiana.
In basketball Montgomery became Southridge’s all-time leading scorer with 1,966 career points and averaged 21.1 points per game as a sophomore. His athletic profile drew recruiting attention for basketball from programs such as Purdue University and the University of Louisville before Montgomery shifted his focus primarily to baseball in his later high school years.
Path to Baseball
Montgomery developed as a two-sport athlete through high school while increasingly emphasizing baseball. He committed to play college baseball at Indiana University and was also identified as a preferred walk-on candidate for Indiana men’s basketball should he have pursued that route. His senior year on the diamond in 2021 was a breakout season during which he batted .333 with seven home runs, 23 RBIs and 24 stolen bases while leading Southridge to the school’s first IHSAA state championship.
Following his senior season Montgomery participated in MLB’s first-ever Draft Combine in Cary, North Carolina. The Chicago White Sox selected him with the 22nd overall pick of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft; he signed for a reported $3 million signing bonus and began his professional career that summer in the Arizona Complex League.
Colson Montgomery Career
Early Career (2021–2023)
Montgomery made his professional debut in the Arizona Complex League in 2021, where he recorded a .287/.396/.362 slash line over 104 at-bats in 26 games with seven doubles and seven RBIs. The performance built on his high-school profile and set the stage for a full-season assignment in 2022.
The 2022 season saw Montgomery begin with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in Single-A, advance to the Winston-Salem Dash of High-A in late June, and receive another promotion in mid-August to the Birmingham Barons of Double-A. Across those three levels in 2022 he played 96 games and slashed .274/.381/.429 with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs and 17 doubles, demonstrating a blend of on-base skill and emerging power.
Triple-A Breakthrough (2024–2025)
Montgomery spent the 2024 season with the Charlotte Knights of the Triple-A International League, appearing in 130 games and posting a .214/.329/.381 line with 18 home runs, 63 RBIs and eight stolen bases. His performance in Triple-A and serviceable plate discipline led the White Sox to add him to their 40-man roster on November 19, 2024, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft.
Montgomery opened the 2025 season optioned to Charlotte and continued to hit for power, batting .218/.298/.435 with 11 home runs, 30 RBIs and two stolen bases over 55 games before earning a promotion to the major leagues in July 2025.
Major League Debut and Rookie Season (2025)
The Chicago White Sox promoted Colson Montgomery to the major leagues for the first time on July 4, 2025. He made his MLB debut that day as the White Sox starting shortstop at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies. Montgomery recorded his first major league hit the following day, an RBI triple off Rockies starter Germán Márquez, and finished that game 3-for-5.
Montgomery hit his first big-league home run on July 22, 2025, off Bryan Baker of the Tampa Bay Rays and followed with his first career grand slam on August 23, 2025, off Mick Abel of the Minnesota Twins. He finished his rookie campaign having appeared in 71 games and hitting .239 with 21 home runs and 55 RBIs, and he placed fifth in American League Rookie of the Year voting.
Chicago White Sox Era (2025–Present)
After his July 2025 promotion Montgomery established himself as part of the White Sox shortstop mix and returned to the Opening Day roster as the team’s starting shortstop to begin the 2026 season. He wears No. 12 for the Chicago White Sox and continued to build on the combination of power and athletic defense that characterized his development.
Through June 29, 2026, Montgomery’s Major League totals include 41 home runs and 102 runs batted in with a .230 batting average. Those counting stats reflect his continued power production following a rookie season highlighted by 21 homers in 71 games.
Playing Style and Strengths
Montgomery profiles as an athletic, multi-sport shortstop with above-average power for his position and the speed to contribute on the bases. His high-school basketball background and stolen-base totals at multiple levels underline his athleticism, while his minor-league and rookie-season home-run totals illustrate growing bat strength. Defensively he projects as a starting shortstop with the range and agility developed through multi-sport competition.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Montgomery’s early professional career include his selection in the first round of the 2021 draft (22nd overall), his inclusion on the White Sox 40-man roster in November 2024, his major league debut on July 4, 2025, his first MLB hit (an RBI triple), his first home run on July 22, 2025, and his first career grand slam on August 23, 2025. He finished fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting following his 2025 season.
Colson Montgomery Career Wins
Montgomery’s verified offensive highlights through mid-2026 center on his home run and RBI totals at the major-league level and his steady rise through the White Sox farm system. As of June 29, 2026, his major-league totals include 41 home runs and 102 RBIs with a .230 batting average, and his 2025 rookie season produced 21 homers and 55 RBIs in 71 games.
MLB Highlights
Verified major-league highlights include Montgomery’s debut in July 2025, his first MLB hit and RBI triple off Germán Márquez, his first home run versus Bryan Baker, his first grand slam versus Mick Abel, and a fifth-place finish in American League Rookie of the Year balloting for 2025. Those milestones underscore a rapid adjustment to big-league pitching and notable power output in limited rookie at-bats.
Other Wins & Perfromances
At the minor-league level Montgomery demonstrated progression through three levels in 2022 and compiled solid on-base numbers and run-producing totals. In 2022 he totaled 11 home runs, 47 RBIs and 17 doubles across Single-A, High-A and Double-A, and in 2024 he reached 18 home runs and 63 RBIs in 130 Triple-A games.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season served as Montgomery’s breakout into the major leagues. After beginning the season in Triple-A Charlotte he was recalled on July 4 and made an immediate impact, producing his first major-league hit the day after his debut and supplying home runs and run production through the summer. His .239 batting average with 21 home runs and 55 RBIs in 71 games established him as a legitimate power threat from the shortstop position.
Montgomery’s rookie year storyline combined a steady stream of milestone moments with enough production to earn recognition in Rookie of the Year voting. The White Sox and their player-development staff moved him rapidly through the system and entrusted him with a starting role heading into 2026, a reflection of his blend of athleticism, power and defensive potential.