Introduction to Colson Montgomery
ATLANTA — White Sox rookie shortstop Colson Montgomery was bound to come back down to earth at some point. He roared out of the gate after his debut July 4 to an .827 OPS in his first month in the majors, but he entered play Wednesday with a more pedestrian .716 OPS in August. With five home runs in each of his first two calendar months, the power is still there — and so is the confidence Montgomery developed while rebounding from his minor-league doldrums at the start of the season. Those prompted a trip to the Sox’ hitting complex in Arizona to rediscover his form.
The Adjustment Period
‘‘You definitely go back and look when you were rolling, when you were feeling good,’’ Montgomery said. ‘‘And you are not trying something new; you are trying to re-create. I still feel pretty good. I think it’s ‘Angry August’ for a reason.’’ The dog days of summer have seen Montgomery, 23, strike out in nearly 40% of his at-bats this month, but he still has shined overall since his debut. He has 1.1 WAR, per FanGraphs, with his .777 overall OPS.
Overcoming Slumps
As far as slumps go, that’s barely a hiccup compared with the .149/.223/.255 roadblock he slammed into at the start of the season in Triple-A Charlotte, forcing the Sox to yank him from the field in favor of one-on-one training with hitting director Ryan Fuller. ‘‘I’ve definitely experienced a lot of things from the highs and the lows,’’ Montgomery said. ‘‘Sometimes you have to learn the hard way with losses and things like that, not good performances. It’s all just going to help in the future.’’
Colson Montgomery watches a hit off against the Phillies last month in Chicago.
Defensive Capabilities
While the Sox banked on Montgomery finding his bat, they weren’t expecting the defense he has flashed to start his career. ‘‘It’s been a lot better than I thought,’’ manager Will Venable said. ‘‘It’s just been outstanding. He converts outs that he makes look easy, that are not easy plays. We’ve asked him to play third base and shortstop and mix them up, and he just hasn’t skipped a beat.’’ That has been rewarding for the 6-3 Montgomery, whom many scouts predicted wouldn’t last at short, the most demanding position on the field.
Scouting Adjustments
‘‘You get questioned a lot when you are in the minor leagues because of your frame and a lot of things, but all you can do is show what you can do,’’ he said. ‘‘Ever since I got up here, it’s just playing my butt off and doing whatever I can for the guys and the pitchers.’’ Now the tit-for-tat of scouting adjustments begins for Montgomery. ‘‘I think he’s well-positioned to be here,’’ Venable said. ‘‘Having cooled off, to figure out what he needs to do to get back to performing at the level that he knows he can. I talked to him a little bit about the things he’s working on, and he’s excited about it.’’
Pitching Strategies
Montgomery said opposing pitchers are coming at him backward. ‘‘[They’re] starting off-speed and trying to steal strikes with fastballs late in the count,’’ he said. ‘‘Try to change my eye level with a lot of things. The biggest thing for me is just trying to stay tall, stay to center field, left-center, think line drive through the shortstop.’’ Venable said he marveled at the way Montgomery ‘‘started clicking fastballs in the zone right away’’ after his call-up. ‘‘They pretty quickly got off of that,’’ Venable said of pitchers, who since have gotten Montgomery to chase on breaking balls.
Continuous Improvement
‘‘We know that when you come up in this league, you’ve got a couple of days to sneak-attack some people,’’ Venable said. ‘‘They start figuring you out, and then it’s your turn to make an adjustment. And it’s not going to stop for the next 12 years — or however long he plays.’’
Conclusion
In conclusion, Colson Montgomery’s journey as a rookie shortstop for the White Sox has been marked by both impressive performances and adjustments to the league’s pitching strategies. Despite experiencing a slight downturn in August, Montgomery remains confident in his abilities and is working to refine his approach at the plate. With the support of his manager and teammates, Montgomery is poised to continue making significant contributions to the team.
FAQs
Q: What has been Colson Montgomery’s experience like in the major leagues so far?
A: Montgomery has had a strong start to his major league career, with an .827 OPS in his first month and five home runs in each of his first two calendar months. However, he has experienced a slight decline in August, with a .716 OPS.
Q: How has Montgomery adjusted to the pitching strategies of opposing teams?
A: Montgomery has noted that opposing pitchers are starting to come at him with off-speed pitches and trying to steal strikes with fastballs late in the count. He is working to adjust his approach by staying tall and focusing on line drives to center field and left-center.
Q: What are the expectations for Montgomery’s future performance?
A: Manager Will Venable believes that Montgomery is well-positioned to continue performing at a high level, and that he will need to make ongoing adjustments to the pitching strategies of opposing teams.
