Braden Montgomery is Coming and White Sox Fans Should be Excited
Braden Montgomery of the Charlotte Knights, White Sox Triple-A Affiliate (Photo Credit: MLB Pipeline X Account)
The Chicago White Sox are one of the most fun teams this season. The vibes around them are immaculate. Both their radio and TV broadcasts are dealing electrifying calls and you can hear the excitement in their voices. Rate Field is filled with fans and the overall franchise is a product that’s been enjoyable to soak in. This upswing is mostly due to the influx of young players.
The White Sox's age average has been dropping, as it should be given the team’s recent season records. They are a completely different team from the 2021 season, and fan optimism has risen. We’re seeing last year’s rookie players take next steps in their careers, like Colson Montgomery. He’s become one of the more well-rounded shortstops in baseball, excelling at the plate and in the field. Chase Meidroth has also shown growth this season having already tied his home run record from last season. What Miguel Vargas is doing is nothing short of special, but it’s also the recent youth who have come up from Charlotte.
Sam Antonacci has been a gem for this White Sox team and has excelled in the lead-off spot. His competitive at-bats are a huge weapon for this team. He’s also a versatile defensive player, enabling him to play everyday. Unfortunately, the White Sox lost The Samurai in Munetaka Murakamidue to injury, but the silver lining is a callup for Jacob Gonzales. Gonzales dominated in Charlotte and was rocking a 1.087 OPS before he got the call. He has real power and it’s great to see him get his shot.
These are exciting times – the White Sox are closing in on the AL Central Crown and more is coming. Last week, we got to witness the best debut by a White Sox pitcher in David Sandlin, but also knocking on the door is Braden Montgomery.
Many teams around the league can thank the Red Sox for helping build their teams up with good up and coming youth. Granted, the Garrett Crochet trade has benefited both parties (you can check out our trade grade from the 2025 off-season), but Braden is a must-watch special talent who has developed tremendously this season.
In 2025, Braden advanced to Double-A for the White Sox and started this season at the same level with notable improvements. Across all systems in 2025, he slashed .270/.360/.444 with an .804 OPS and 137 wRC+. He’s had almost as many plate appearances this season (126) as he did in 2025 (143), but the results are much different. His batting average went from .272 to .313, his on-base percentage rose from .364 to .429, and slugging .416 to .606. Braden Montgomery has completely taken his development to the next level and hit six home runs in Double-A as well, already reaching the halfway mark of his home run record last season.
Photo Credit: TJStats.ca
Braden’s power is real in the bat, seeing the ISO (isolated power) rise from .174 to .239 for the season. His hard-hit rate ranks in the 91st percentile and his max EV ranks in the 95th percentile. It’s great to see that that power has translated well into Triple-A with the Charlotte Knights. Braden is hitting .281/.366/.461 with a .827 OPS. He hasn’t skipped a beat since arriving in Charlotte.
Braden Montgomery is a toolsy player on the rise with strong character. He’s someone who’s helped clean the dugout and the clubhouse after games. While this White Sox team has a plethora of impactful young talent, there’s still more talent on the farm yet to be seen at the Major League level.
Rise up Southside, your time has come.
About the Author
Baseball Scoops (Tommy) launched the Baseball Scoops Substack in 2025. The goal for the Substack is to get into the weeds and dive deeper into things that fans may not see on the surface. Topics vary and can be player related and the goal is to help explain what is going on. Pitching is a consistent theme, but so is prospects and showcasing younger players. That now gets to expand into Painting Corners and focusing on the prospects that lie within the White Sox system. Stories, highlights, and analytical breakdowns of the prospects in the pipeline.