On April 27th, Colson Montgomery’s batting average bottomed out at .149 following an 0-6 performance. He had also struck out 43 times in 103 plate appearances with an OPS of just .479 in 23 Triple-A games. He was a shell of himself. The situation got so dire that the White Sox organization pulled him out of Triple-A entirely and sent him to Arizona to clear his head at the team’s spring training facility. And based on how Montgomery has played recently, that mental breather was the best thing that could have ever happened to him.
Mental Reset
Following his last Triple-A contest on April 27th, Montgomery did not appear in organized games for over a week. Instead, he worked with Ryan Fuller, the White Sox Director of Hitting, to get back on track. Montgomery recently elaborated on this experience with Jeff Cohen of FutureSox.
Instead of focusing on swing mechanics and plate discipline, Montgomery described the experience as more of a “breather” and “getting back to neutral.” He also mentioned game planning and establishing and executing a routine as aspects of his game that he worked on with Fuller. Montgomery says he feels good, is happy with his routine, and is much more confident than earlier in the season because of this reset in Arizona. “We talked about not reinventing who Colson was in two weeks. But reaffirming who he is and what he does best,” Fuller added.
Scorching Hot At The Plate
Montgomery’s confidence is evident in his recent performances. He has been crushing the ball since returning from his stint in Arizona. Last night was his best game yet. He collected four hits, including two doubles and two home runs, reached base a total of five times, and collected a career high 12 total bases. His home runs weren’t cheap shots either, as both had exit velocities of over 100 MPH. Montgomery has raised his batting average from .149 to .207 and his OPS from .479 to .652 over his last ten games.
Much Improved Strikeout Rate
Cutting down on strikeouts has been Montgomery’s single most significant improvement of late. He was striking out at an alarming rate of over 40% earlier in the season but has significantly reduced his punchouts following his work with Fuller. Montgomery has just ten strikeouts in 46 plate appearances in his latest Triple-A stint, a rate of just 22%.
Montgomery’s Potential MLB ETA
Montgomery’s growth and improvements beg the question of when he will be called up to the big leagues. After all, the thought was that he would have already been in Chicago by now had he not struggled so badly to start the season. The White Sox infield is one of the team’s strengths lately, with Chase Meidroth, Lenyn Sosa, and Miguel Vargas all playing well. Given that he is one of the team’s top prospects however, Montgomery will likely be up sooner rather than later. Depending on the infield alignment, the team could create an opening for him at either third base or shortstop.
Ryan Fuller Has Been A Godsend
Colson Montgomery is not the only White Sox player who has improved significantly due to working with Ryan Fuller. Miguel Vargas has also turned into a completely different hitter after making some tweaks in the batter’s box. When the organization hired Fuller this past offseason, the hope was that he would help White Sox hitters grow just like he did with the Orioles. He has done that and more so far.
