The Chicago White Sox had a nice game against the Athletics yesterday where they gave them a good drubbing, beating the A’s by a score of 10-2. The game featured the White Sox’s No. 2 overall prospect, Kyle Teel, going 3-5 with three RBIs, scoring two runs, and blasting a homer run.
The White Sox are set to begin their season on March 27 when they take on the Los Angeles Angels at the newly named Rate Field. This series should be an interesting one being the Angels have a couple of former White Sox prospects on their roster.
Before the season starts, however, the White Sox still have to make a few more cuts to the roster to start the season. With a couple of positional battles going on in camp, the White Sox will be keeping close tabs on a few players who are vying to make their first Opening Day roster.
One player looking to make the Chicago White Sox roster
One player looking to make his first Opening Day roster is the White Sox’s No. 4 overall prospect, Colson Montgomery. Montgomery also ranks as the 39th-best prospect in Major League Baseball.
So far this spring, Montgomery has not done that great, hitting .111/.111/.444 for an OPS of .556 with four total bases. Montgomery’s only hit this spring was a home run he launched off Chicago Cubs left-hander Caleb Thielbar.
The 23-year-old returned to the White Sox lineup the other day after missing a few games due to back spasms. Montgomery went hitless in his return but said he felt good after the game.
Even though Montgomery “feels good” having back spasms at this young age is a concern. Montgomery’s best quality is his ability to hit for power which MLB.com grades at a 60/80. The back is one of the key components of a hitter’s swing, and anything affecting it could lower his production.
Is Montgomery the shortstop of the future?
Montgomery has every chance to win the starting shortstop job and make the White Sox Opening Day roster. The question for Montgomery, however, is whether he can be the White Sox shortstop long-term.
Shortstop is a physically demanding position from an athletic standpoint, and with Montgomery is experiencing back spasms that could affect his ability to play the position. Also, standing at 6-3 makes Montgomery one of the bigger shortstops in the game.
Montgomery could benefit from a position change, given these two factors. Moving him to third or first base could be the way to go, given they’re both power positions, and Montgomery profiles as a power hitter with 30-home run potential.
Still, time left
There’s still some time remaining this spring for Montgomery to turn things around and show he’s capable of being the Opening Day shortstop for the Sox.
There’s not much more that Montgomery has to prove at the minor-league level, with all that remains is him proving it at the big-league level.
We shall know in the next couple of weeks what the White Sox’s decision on Montgomery will be, but hopefully, we’ll be seeing him on the Southside come the 27th.
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