Chicago White Sox prospect Colson Montgomery has already found common ground with new manager Will Venable through basketball. A high school hoops standout in Indiana, Montgomery shares a passion for the sport with Venable, who earned All-Ivy League honors in both basketball and baseball at Princeton.
“I heard about his basketball background right away, so I had to check him out he was legit,” Venable said Tuesday at Camelback Ranch. That instant connection has only strengthened their bond as Montgomery works to prove himself at Sox camp, where he’s battling for a coveted spot on the 26-man roster.
A Big Opportunity on the Horizon
Montgomery, 22, is currently ranked MLB’s No. 39 overall prospect and is looking to capitalize on a promising end to an up-and-down 2024 season with Triple-A Charlotte. While he set career highs in multiple categories including games played (130), hits (104), home runs (18), and RBIs (63) he also faced challenges, posting his lowest batting average (.214) and recording a career-high 164 strikeouts.
“At times, it got to me,” Montgomery admitted. “I had to accept that I was struggling instead of pretending I wasn’t. Once I did that, I could focus on how to turn things around.”
And turn things around he did. Montgomery finished September on a high note, slashing .264/.357/.458 with four home runs and 13 RBIs in his final 19 Triple-A games. He carried that momentum into the Arizona Fall League, where he put up an impressive .313/.511/.656 slash line with three homers and 11 RBIs in just 11 games.
A Fierce Competition at Shortstop
Montgomery has been an early arrival at spring camp, logging valuable at-bats against live pitching. As he pushes for a roster spot, he’ll face competition from Jake Amaya, Brooks Baldwin, and newly acquired prospect Chase Meidroth. The Sox also signed free-agent Josh Rojas, adding more depth to the infield battle.
Despite the stiff competition, Montgomery remains focused on proving himself.
“If you want to be the best, you have to envision yourself at the big-league level,” he said. “I respect the team’s decision, but I’m going to do everything I can to help the team win.”
Drew Thorpe Makes Progress in Injury Recovery
Meanwhile, White Sox pitching prospect Drew Thorpe took an encouraging step forward in his recovery from inflammation issues, throwing his first side session of the spring.
“Felt good, pretty light, smooth,” Thorpe said of his 20-pitch session. He’s scheduled for another session on Friday, and Venable was pleased with his progress.
“I watched him, and I thought he did a good job of maintaining his effort,” Venable said.
With Montgomery fighting for a roster spot and Thorpe working his way back, White Sox camp is heating up setting the stage for an exciting spring.
