CHICAGO – Colson Montgomery has 12 home runs over 31 games played for the White Sox since the All-Star break, including his first career grand slam during a 7-3 victory over the Twins Saturday night at Rate Field.
So, does the total make this shortstop, sometimes third baseman, a potential power hitter for the future? The question brought a postgame chuckle from White Sox manager Will Venable, probably because Montgomery has been hitting the ball a long way and with authority on a consistent basis since his big league arrival on July 4.
“He certainly seems like he’s got that club in the bag,” said Venable, still smiling after the inquiry. “For him, it’s just going to be a matter of getting good swings on good pitches. He’s got the power in there. He just has to continue to take good swings.”
“I’ve always had some juice growing up,” added Montgomery on the power hitter question. “Now I’m finally growing into my body and understanding my swing. I feel like that’s what it comes down to the most, using your whole body. So, I would say yeah, I’ve been a power hitter my whole life.”
There’s certainly no doubt in the present, as one swing of Montgomery’s bat basically was enough to end a three-game losing streak for the South Siders. Montgomery connected on a 1-0 sinker from Mick Abel in Abel’s first career start for Minnesota, capping off a six-run second inning.
The 412-foot blast with an exit velocity of 106.2 mph, according to Statcast, gave the rookie shortstop 32 RBIs during that same 31-game stretch as his power run. In this instance, and actually during many instances since the All-Star break, Montgomery’s teammates contributed to and helped set up his attack.
“It was nice. I wasn’t trying to do too much. Trying to get the ball in the air. Just hit the ball forward. So, I was able to put a good swing on it,” said Montgomery, who just missed a grand slam during the team’s series at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa last month. “I was just sticking with my approach.
“Staying aggressive, knew he had to come at me, bases loaded. He didn’t want to walk another guy. I was just staying on the attack and trying to be short to the ball.”
On Aug. 3 in Anaheim, Montgomery delivered a multi-hit effort to raise his average to .256 but proceeded to go 7-for-49 over his ensuing 14 games. He has back-to-back multi-hit games to start the Twins series, with three extra-base hits among his four total and homers in two straight games.
Fighting his way out of a funk, although not exactly a pronounced one in this instance, is something the 23-year-old already has dealt with this year. Montgomery went from Triple-A Charlotte to Arizona in late April for a full reset.
“My struggles in the Minor Leagues help when you go through times like this,” Montgomery said. “It keeps you level-headed and you know you are one swing away. I keep saying that. You have that kind of mindset.
“When you go through things, you kind of think about, ‘I need to get two hits, I need to get three hits.’ Just put one good swing on the ball, and it can make a difference.”
Davis Martin (5-9) earned the victory, allowing two runs over five innings with six strikeouts. The White Sox (46-83) improved to 5-24 against the Twins dating back to May 4, 2023, with Luis Robert Jr. adding the 102nd home run of his career, to go with 102 stolen bases, for extra emphasis in the eighth.
But it was Montgomery who set the long ball tone, whether he’s a power hitter or currently hitting for great power.
“Big lefty, man,” said Martin of Montgomery. “He does damage when guys give him the opportunity to do damage, and you can't ask anything more from a young hitter.”
“You want to go up there and try to make a difference in a game,” Montgomery said. “Sometimes I get pitches to do that, and I’ll admit it, I was trying to do too much. Swinging at pitches I [shouldn't] have been swinging at. You have to be patient and just assess and adjust to what they are doing and after that, you go boom.”