NEW YORK – The home run hit by Colson Montgomery on Tuesday night, covering a Statcast-projected 428 feet, held a special meaning for the White Sox rookie shortstop.
Let’s be honest: All 19 homers have meant something for Montgomery, who singled and doubled during an 8-1 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday night in which Aaron Judge hit his 50th and 51st home runs. But the fact that this particular blast cleared the fences at Yankee Stadium – the home of the team Montgomery rooted for growing up, the home of his favorite player, Derek Jeter – quickly made it his No. 1 memory amid a highly memorable campaign.
“So it was pretty cool,” said Montgomery prior to his team’s fourth straight loss and 10th in 11 games. “Me and my dad talked about it. We would always watch the game, and him coming here to watch me play, it’s pretty special.”
Montgomery plopped himself down in the visitors’ dugout after taking pregame infield, prepared to talk about this revelation of a debut, but not without a fun jab at the media.
“This shouldn’t take too long,” said a smiling Montgomery. “You all talk to me every day.”
Such are the perils of being a frontline player as the fulcrum of a burgeoning young rebuilding core. When you rank sixth in the Majors in home runs since the All-Star break with 19, there are going to be more than a few interview requests.
If your RBI total of 49 means a tie with the Rays’ Junior Caminero for third since the All-Star break, once again, you are going to be asked to talk. And with seven defensive runs saved according to Baseball Reference, Montgomery’s defense has also drawn quite a bit of notice.
Then again, Montgomery has stayed devoted to the shortstop idea since being drafted 22nd overall in the 2021 Draft. This season’s effort only reinforces that point, thanks to the help of Justin Jirschele, the third-base coach and infield coach with the White Sox.
“Definitely. He challenges me every single day. He always gives me something competitive to work on every day,” said Montgomery of Jirschele. “We’ve put a really good game plan together for me, and also it’s what I keep saying: ‘Don’t try to do too much. Field the ball and throw it to first.’
“Sometimes it might not look pretty, but if you get the out, you can’t really say much. It just goes back to believing in myself and knowing I’m a shortstop.”
Wednesday’s setback marked the 100th loss of the 2025 season for the White Sox, giving them three straight seasons with at least 100. They had four total (2018, 1970, 1948, 1932) over the franchise’s first 122 years.
Better days could be on the horizon with players such as Montgomery in the mix, although the 23-year-old realizes he’s far from a finished product. His offseason goal is to "bulletproof" his body as much as possible to play 162, because if you are not on the field, you can’t perform regardless of your hitting or defensive preparation.
Nineteen home runs leaves Montgomery two behind Lenyn Sosa for the White Sox lead, despite less than half his at-bats (506 to 239). There’s no friendly wager between those two, but one did exist with Luis Robert Jr., who has been a veteran source of advice for Montgomery.
“He said, ‘If you get to 25 homers, I’ll get you a gift’ or something. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” said Montgomery with a laugh. “You see one of your star players, he’s there to talk to you. And there might be a little language barrier, but just him being around, and sometimes he kind of gives me a little down-to-earth moment.”
“Just really proud of him and his journey,” White Sox manager Will Venable said of Montgomery. “I think he got to exactly where we envisioned him being as a dude that helps you have a chance to win against any team in the league.”
Those interview demands will quiet down for Montgomery during the offseason, which will begin in Indiana and then move shortly thereafter to Nashville, where he owns a home. But if his second-year performance is anything like his first, Montgomery will be the White Sox focus for many years to come.
“It’s part of what we have to do, build a relationship with you guys,” Montgomery said. “I know the fans and everybody, these are questions the fans want to know, too: Just answer questions for you guys and for the fans. I think it’s what comes with it.
“You see big-name guys that are always talking to the media. People want to hear what they have to say, so I don’t mind it.”