Two years ago, Braden Montgomery could only watch.
One day after breaking his ankle in the NCAA Super Regionals, the Texas A&M star hopped out of the dugout with the help of two teammates to celebrate the Aggies’ clinching a trip to the College World Series.
Plenty of players in that situation might have been bitter. Montgomery had played a key role in getting Texas A&M to that point and was suddenly facing months of rehab for an injury that could have affected his draft stock.
Instead, he was grinning from ear to ear as he hobbled over to join the celebration.
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That moment offered a glimpse into the player and person Montgomery is. The 23-year-old has built a reputation as a team-first player. It’s one of the reasons he appears to be a natural fit for the current culture the White Sox are building in the clubhouse.
During a White Sox panel at SoxFest Live in January 2025, Montgomery was asked about his favorite baseball memory. His answer wasn’t a home run, a personal accolade, or a highlight-reel play. Instead, he pointed to celebrating a teammate’s walk-off hit after a come-from-behind Texas A&M victory.
The same mindset showed up when he was asked about being traded from the Red Sox organization. Rather than dwell on the move, Montgomery said he was simply focused on getting healthy and back on the field.
Now he is getting his first opportunity in the big leagues. The White Sox called up the 23-year-old outfielder ahead of their six-game homestand on Tuesday and recalled left-hander Joe Rock from the Charlotte Knights. In a corresponding move, outfielder Rikuu Nishida and David Sandlin were optioned back to Triple-A, while Austin Hays was moved to the 60-day IL.
Despite being ranked as the No. 21 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, Montgomery’s road to the show has not been an easy one.
After suffering an ankle injury in the NCAA Super Regionals, he missed the rest of the 2024 season. The Red Sox, however, weren’t deterred. They selected him in the first round of the MLB Draft despite knowing his professional debut would be delayed.
It’s easy to understand why they were willing to take the risk. Even without playing a professional game in 2024, Montgomery still earned a spot on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects list after connecting for 27 homers in just 61 games with Texas A&M.
Now, he marks the fourth and final player acquired by the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade with Boston to reach the major leagues.
The deal has already produced promising returns. Chase Meidroth currently leads the White Sox in hits and ranks fourth among American League second basemen with a 1.2 WAR. Kyle Teel appeared poised to open the season as Chicago’s starting catcher before suffering a hamstring injury during the World Baseball Classic. Right-hander Wikelman González posted a 2.66 ERA across 16 innings last season before landing on the injured list in April.
Yet despite the contributions from the rest of the package, Montgomery may ultimately be the best of the bunch.
In 56 games between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte this season, Montgomery is hitting .314 with 10 homers and 41 RBIs.
He has done just about everything the White Sox could have hoped for in the minors. He’s hit for average, produced hard contact, and has taken his walks. The one lingering concern is his swing-and-miss tendency, evidenced by a 23% strikeout rate and below-average contact rates on in-zone pitches.
Still, as a switch-hitter with a cannon for an arm and a strong glove in the outfield, Montgomery figures to get plenty of runway in Chicago.
Montgomery will wear the number 24 with the White Sox, but he won’t have much time to ease into life in the majors.
His first six games with the White Sox are expected to come against two of the National League’s top contenders: the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Braves are projected to send a pair of former All-Stars, Chris Sale and Martín Pérez, to the mound during the series, while the Dodgers are expected to start Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who enters the matchup with a 2.68 ERA.
It’s a daunting introduction to the big leagues. But perhaps it’s fitting that one of Montgomery’s first tests is expected to come against Sale, another former White Sox star who was traded away for a prospect package once viewed as the foundation of the franchise’s previous rebuild.
