CHICAGO -- Colson Montgomery had 12 games of experience at third base before arriving in the Major Leagues with the White Sox on July 4, and eight of those games came for Glendale during the 2024 Arizona Fall League.
So how has the 23-year-old looked so fluid and smooth at third base, making his seventh start and eighth appearance during a 6-1 loss to the Cubs before a sellout crowd of 38,432 Saturday night at Rate Field? In this case, practice definitely makes close to perfect.
“Just going out there early and just trying to make things as game-like as I can,” Montgomery said. “During BP, kind of read it off the bat. At shortstop, I like just being free and athletic. I kind of want to do the same thing over there.”
Montgomery has held to the fact that he’s a shortstop since the White Sox selected him 22nd overall in the 2021 Draft. He has made 10 starts at shortstop for the White Sox, committing one error between the two defensive positions.
In Saturday’s setback, dropping the White Sox to 6-2 since the All-Star break and 38-67 overall, Montgomery (the South Siders' No. 4 prospect) handled two chances at third in the fifth inning, helping to keep the Cubs off the scoreboard despite putting runners on first and second with nobody out against Aaron Civale. Montgomery’s play on Matt Shaw’s slow roller ended the threat with runners on first and third.
It’s almost a natural spot for Montgomery. For that look, the rookie gives props to Justin Jirschele, the team’s third base and infield coach, who also managed Montgomery last year at Triple-A Charlotte.
“I think it’s the work that we put in before the games with Jirsch and all those guys,” Montgomery said. “Sometimes it’s different reads off the bat. Some footwork is probably a little different. Honestly I think it’s kind of the same.”
“He’s an outstanding athlete, and that shows up at shortstop,” said White Sox manager Will Venable of Montgomery. “We’ve seen it show up at third base. He’s just put himself in a really good spot working extremely hard and making plays and just looks comfortable out there. … Just seems really natural for him.”
When asked if he enjoyed playing third more than imagined, Montgomery paused, smiled and said, “I enjoy being in the lineup.”
The White Sox have enjoyed having him. Montgomery carried a three-game home run streak into Saturday’s contest, and managed one of the four hits off Cade Horton in 6 1/3 innings to extend his hitting streak to six games, with a 1.000 OPS over that stretch. The White Sox scored 61 runs in the first seven contests after the All-Star break, leading all Major League teams, but didn’t score until Mike Tauchman’s leadoff homer in the ninth against Ryan Pressly.
That lack of output in the run column doesn’t mean the team’s juggernaut on offense has been stopped. It was more about Horton and the Cubs on this night.
“Honestly I felt like tonight we were putting good swings on the ball,” Montgomery said. “We were getting in good hitter's counts. There were a lot of times where we hit it and they were right there. Last night, a lot was falling for us. Tonight, sometimes it just doesn’t go our way. If we continue to keep doing what we are doing, things will keep staying consistent.”
“We still got beat with the heater, even though Horton did mix it up nicely,” Venable said. “That’s what we’ve been pounding our fists on the table for all year here. It starts there and after that, we have to adjust. But I thought we just never attacked the heater and it put us in a bad spot.”
Ian Happ and Matt Shaw went deep off reliever Jordan Leasure producing three runs in the seventh, after Civale struck out six over five scoreless and 69 pitches. The Cubs added three in the eighth, as they improved to 4-1 against the White Sox this season and took the all-time series lead at 76-75.
As a successful veteran hurler with a couple of playoff games on his resume, Civale could be moved by Thursday’s Trade Deadline. He has been dealt in July in each of the last two seasons and was moved from Milwaukee to the White Sox on June 13.
Civale isn’t worried about what could happen, a common mantra for most players. He’s enjoying his fit with the White Sox and getting to know talented young players such as Montgomery.
“I’ve been very happy. It's a great group of guys,” Civale said. “Competing with them has been awesome, and I hope to continue to do so."