Colson Montgomery鈥檚 professional dream comes true after being selected by White Sox
HOLLAND, Ind. (BVM) — Growing up in a small town, a lot of athletes star in multiple sports. Colson Montgomery certainly fits that bill as the quarterback of the Southridge High School football team, and the star of the Raiders鈥� basketball team.
However, Montgomery鈥檚 greatest talent lies on the baseball diamond. A standout infielder at Southridge, Montgomery was prepared to stay home for college and attend Indiana University. But now, he has the chance to pursue a professional career in the sport.
Sunday, Montgomery was selected No. 22 overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2021 MLB Draft. The shortstop is the first high school player the Sox have drafted since 2012.
The pick is in!
With pick No. 22, the White Sox select SS Colson Montgomery from Southridge (Ind.) H.S. Welcome to the South Side, Colson!
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox)
While Montgomery was slated to become Indiana baseball鈥檚 next star and perhaps even play basketball as well for the Hoosiers, he could very likely forgo that option as the MLB鈥檚 slotting system allows him to be paid a first-round signing bonus of nearly $3.03 million.
The White Sox are happy to be able to keep the Indiana product in the Midwest. As the No. 25 prospect on MLB.com鈥檚 list of the top 250 players in the draft — as well as the No. 7 infielder and No. 14 high school prospect — Montgomery was projected to go anywhere in the first round with no guarantees he would still be there by the time Chicago was on the clock.
鈥淲e feel lucky,鈥� White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley said in a Zoom conference after the first round. 鈥淲e feel like we got the right guy. We鈥檙e very excited to have this young man 鈥� We feel like this was the piece of the puzzle that was going to be a difference-maker for us.鈥�
Montgomery now joins a club that is on the rise in the 2021 season, as the White Sox currently sit at a record of 54-35, just a game out of first place in the American League. Chicago also holds the third-best run differential in the MLB at +117, and has a strong hold on the American League Central with an eight-game lead.
Success is no stranger to the Holland, Ind. native, so he should fit right in by the time he takes the field on the South Side. In addition to being the all-time leading scorer in Southridge High School history with nearly 2,000 points on the basketball court, Montgomery has taken the Raiders鈥� baseball program to new heights.
In his senior season, the left-handed batter hit .333 with seven home runs, 23 RBIs and 42 runs. His play helped lead the Raiders to a Class 3A state championship.聽
After the season, the 6-foot-4 shortstop was given little time to celebrate, as he was invited to North Carolina to partake in the MLB Draft combine. With his stock continually rising over the past couple years, Montgomery became a lock for an early pick, and was one of eight players to be invited to this year鈥檚 draft at the Bellco Theater in Denver.
Montgomery was the second Indiana product taken in this year鈥檚 draft, as former Hamilton Southeastern and current Miami (OH) pitcher, Sam Bachman, was taken ninth overall by the Los Angeles Angels.聽
Already drawing comparisons to big league stars such as Corey Seager, it may not be long before we see Montgomery in a White Sox uniform. He helped turn Southridge High School into a winner, and as he heads northwest, he joins a team on the rise while holding an immense amount of individual potential.
