After Helping Fix Colson Montgomery, Ryan Fuller Sees 'Game-Changing Player'

CHICAGO –– Colson Montgomery ranked as the White Sox top prospect from 2022-24, so needing a midseason reset in Arizona after a woeful run in Triple-A to begin the season wasn't ideal.

Unorthodox but not entirely unheard of, the decision came with questions as to whether the former first-round pick would ever pan out as a Major League Baseball player. But roughly four months later, it appears to have done wonders from Montgomery's career.

"Go back to the end of April when that decision was made to send him to Arizona, fast forward to now, obviously it looks like a really great decision," said White Sox director of hitting Ryan Fuller, who worked individually with Montgomery in Arizona and was hired in November.

"But there’s a lot of people who were involved in that process outside of me. Our Triple-A coach did a great job of carrying out the plan, but most importantly Colson is the guy."

After posting a .149/.223/.255/.479 slash line with 43 strikeouts across his first 103 Triple-A plate appearances this season, belief may have wavered for some, even Montgomery himself.

But instead of letting that discourage him, Montgomery got to work and made meaningful adjustments. That maturity played a role in the process, knowing that once he'd get to the Major Leagues, he could put the Minor League struggles behind him and focus on the present.

"When you struggle, the great thing about Colson is he’s aware of things around him," Fuller said. "He knew that this is not what my stat line in Triple-A is supposed to look like in order to get to the big leagues. So real conversations, but it was always the belief of, man, once I get there, I know I’m going to belong."

"You look to what he did when he came up here and it was a couple of home runs early, he proved to himself quickly that this is a level I can compete at and excel at. Those conversations, looking back were really good ones to have in the moment and he was feeling down, but it was always a belief that once I get here, I know what it’s going to look like."

Since being promoted to the big leagues on July 4, Montgomery has been one of the most productive hitters in the American League. He's tied for seventh with 14 home runs and tied for fifth with 37 RBIs.

He's been especially hot of late, beginning the ongoing 10-game homestand with home runs in four straight games and hitting all 14 since July 22. It's not only a sign of his growth this season, but perhaps what he can become moving forward.

"You see him up here, there’s true belief that he is a big-league game-changing player," Fuller said. "The maturity swing-wise, I think you can go back and look at what he was doing in April, how much better he’s moving now, the pitches he’s able to cover, the velocity, breaking balls. The personality, you’re seeing him really enjoy this stage. It’s been really fun to watch. So looking at it from where he was to where he is now is a whole lot of fun, but a ton of credit to him."

All Major League players make adjustments throughout the season, some bigger than others. That's a necessity for rookies, as they're mostly facing pitchers they've never seen and vice versa. That creates a situation where both sides are adjusting and readjusting.

For Montgomery, one of those has been a switch to the torpedo bat, which features a thicker barrel that thins out at the end. Fuller explained how it benefits Montgomery in particular.

"The torpedo bat, going back to the Rays series when he implemented it, he was getting worn out up and in in the zone, feeling like his swing was getting a little around," Fuller said. "The torpedo moves the kick point in the swing down a little bit, where he can turn and cover those balls on the inner half more. He's a really smart guy. He wants feedback. He's making adjustments."

Through the first 45 games of his Major League career entering Sunday's game, Montgomery is slashing .224/.282/.528/.810 with 14 home runs, 37 RBIs, 12 walks and 49 strikeouts in 175. That leaves room for improvement in regard to him getting on base at a higher clip –– whether through walks or base hits –– and cutting down on strikeouts while increasing walks.

The White Sox will look for Montgomery to get better in those areas, but for now they're excited about him displaying a highly desired skill.

"We're seeing the game-changing power," Fuller said. "Obviously, when you look at the Yankees, that's what really good teams do. With one swing of the bat, you're changing the score. But you look at Colson, and [you see] those three values that we have: swing decisions, contact and damage."

"Throughout his Minor League career, he was always walking at a really good clip, making good decisions, swinging when he should, taking when he should take. I see him being a guy where it's really good decisions, really big damage and contact when we needs it. We're looking at him to continue to make jumps, but we're seeing a really loud skill that is one of the most valuable at the big league level."