MILWAUKEE — Last year, Colson Montgomery had to go back to the very basics of his swing — and his mindset — to escape a cold streak at the plate that put his career trajectory in jeopardy.
Now, to reach the franchise-cornerstone potential the White Sox are banking on from the power-hitting 24-year-old, Montgomery knows he has to do it all over again.
And again. And again.
“You’ve got to stick with your process, you’ve got to stick with your routines, and things are going to change throughout the year,” the Sox’ 2021 first-round draft pick said before his first Opening Day start. “You’ve just got to be able to adapt to these pitchers. It’s flipping the script.”
It took an early-spring sabbatical to the Sox’ Arizona training complex to flip the script on Montgomery’s wretched start at Triple-A Charlotte in 2025. It pulled the Holland, Indiana, native out of his tailspin and onto 21 home runs in 71 games to start his career — and back on track as a foundational piece of the Sox’ future.
Montgomery’s sturdy defense at short, where scouts have questioned how long his 6-3 frame will last, was the cherry on top for the front office.
“I look back at all that and can be like ‘Yeah, that’s what I can do,’” he said. “You just want to try to replicate all that stuff and it goes back to… being process-oriented.”
Montgomery’s early 2026 returns suggest he needs to hone in on that process. He struck out four times before notching his first hit of the season Saturday in Milwaukee, a single. And while spring training stats don’t count for anything, he went .182/.224/.345 with 20 strikeouts and three homers in 55 at-bats.
Colson Montgomery hits a home run last season at Washington.
Daniel Kucin Jr./AP Photos
But he’s come back from worse.
“He really exhibited what I would describe as durability,” Sox player development director Paul Janish said. “Even when he was struggling, he was pretty much the same guy.”
That means a lot of hitting your head against the wall, Janish said.
“It’s a stupid game, as I affectionately say. There are very few people who figure it out and never look back… It’s one of the things about our game that is really hard to deal with, but also what keeps a lot of us dummies coming back. It’s just a constant grind.”
And you can count Montgomery in for that.
“Each pitch is a new battle,” Montgomery said. “The big leagues just bring that out of me; the winner mentality and everything matters.”
General manager Chris Getz tempered expectations for a player who is shouldering hefty ones.
“Gosh, he was so good for the two months that he was up in the big leagues. We are asking him to bring that level of production for six months, which may not be realistic. Pitchers are going to attack him differently,” Getz acknowledged.
But the GM expects a significant turnaround now that the games matter — hopefully deeper into the season, as the Sox look to turn a corner in their rebuild.
“He’s a guy that I also feel very confident that when the lights go on, he really takes it to another level,” Getz said. “What we are looking for is the steadiness he brings on the defensive side and his overall at-bats. Finding a level of consistency to help us win games. And through that approach, we feel like he’s got a chance to have a really productive year and take another step forward.”
While Montgomery refines his on-field process, Will Venable praised the off-field assets he’s bringing along with other core players.
“It’s natural for them,” the second-year manager said. “Colson Montgomery, Miguel Vargas, Davis Martin, Chase Meidroth — these guys are natural leaders and really finding their voice amongst the group. You see it in the way they go about their business and the example they set, but they’re also continuing to be more vocal on a daily basis.”
