CHICAGO – As Billy Carlson made his way around Rate Field hours prior to the Rays’ 5-4 victory over the White Sox Tuesday, he stopped at the home dugout to shake hands with Colson Montgomery.
It was the White Sox shortstop of the present, in Montgomery, featuring 18 home runs and 47 RBIs over 54 Major League games, welcoming the potential White Sox shortstop of the future in Carlson. It was the team’s first-round pick from the 2021 Draft at No. 22 overall catching up with the team’s top pick in the ‘25 Draft, taken at No. 10.
“I’m super excited to hopefully be teammates with him someday,” Carlson told MLB.com during a Tuesday conversation. “Just seeing the short stint he’s been here and having the impact he’s made, it’s awesome.
“His character is awesome. He’s texting me after the Draft, ‘I’m here if you need anything,’ stuff like that. When a player of that caliber reaches out to you and shows you that kind of level of respect, it’s super cool to see. You can’t be bigger than the game. It just speaks to the type of guy he is.”
What sort of guy is Carlson?
At age 19, he already seems to have a big league ready personality first evidenced within his Zoom session on the Sunday night he was drafted. The same can be said for outfielder Jaden Fauske, 18, who was the White Sox selection at No. 44 overall out of Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park, Ill., during the ‘25 Draft, and traveled the ballpark with Carlson on Tuesday.
Visiting Chicago provided a new experience for Carlson, who prepped at Corona High School in California. His family passed on the Bears’ season opener at Soldier Field Monday night, but they had a chance to walk around the city and dine downtown at the famous Gibson’s Steakhouse.
Then, after throwing out a first pitch with Fauske and making in-game media appearances, Carlson watched just the second loss over the past nine games for the White Sox (55-90). Somewhere around 30 family members from his mom Maria’s side of the family made the trip from Evergreen Park, located 12.7 miles from Rate Field, to see Carlson.
Some of those family members he met for the first time.
“So amazing. I’m blown away today,’ said Bill Carlson, the shortstop’s father. “It’s hard to express it. How amazing is that, just stopping everything to come see us and root on our kid.”
“I knew it’s a super cool sports town for sure … I didn’t know Chicago was this cool of a city,” said the younger Carlson. “Super awesome to be in this city environment.”
As for that Major League personality, one with a ready for any challenge and upbeat, positive demeanor, Carlson laughed and said he gets it from his father.
“That’s the way he is,” said Carlson of his dad. “He’s just a really great guy and he’s my hero. I try to be like him every day.”
“He’s coming into his own,” said Bill Carlson of his son. “That’s the best thing for me, as a parent, to watch that happen. It’s just, do your thing.”
The ability for Carlson to do his thing at the big league level doesn’t figure to come for a while. He was described by numerous pundits as one of the best defensive shortstop prospects to come into the Draft in recent years. But after spending post-Draft time getting at-bats in Arizona’s Bridge League, Carlson quickly understood pro players are pretty darn good.
“No doubt. It was definitely a little slap in the face. Humbled me a little bit,” Billy Carlson said. “Swing has to get better. Gotta get more physical. All that good stuff. So, definitely an eye opener but going to get in the gym, get to work in the offseason. I’m excited.
“Players are a lot better. Just knowing that going in, I think it was super cool getting my feet wet and allowing that to happen and not allowing that to happen during my actual first pro season.”
A common goal for Carlson and Fauske is to someday play where they were standing on Tuesday. That first look, for now, can serve as a small part of their driving force to the Majors.
“Absolutely,” Fauske said. “I just want to be here as quickly as possible.”
“I’ve always wanted to play short since I was a little kid,” Carlson said. “I want to make it to the big leagues first. I’m kind of focused on myself right now. Focus on what I need to do and how I can get to the big leagues as soon as possible.”