Chicago White Sox Promote Top Hitting Prospect To Double-A

CHICAGO –– Braden Montgomery has taken another step forward in his first professional season.

On Sunday, the White Sox announced they have promoted him to the Double-A Birmingham Barons. Montgomery will likely make his first appearance with the team on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. CT against the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Toyota Field in Madison, Ala.

Montgomery is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the White Sox organization and their top hitting prospect, per MLB Pipeline. He's also ranked No. 26 overall.

The 6-foot-2 switch-hitter began the season with the Single-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, but required just 18 games before earning a promotion to the High-A Winston-Salem Dash. He also earned a spot in the MLB All-Star Futures Game.

Montgomery has spent most of the season with the Dash, slashing .260/.348/.445 with eight home runs, 17 doubles, 38 RBIs, five stolen bases, 32 walks and 70 strikeouts across 290 plate appearances.

White Sox director of player development Paul Janish has been impressed by various aspect of Montgomery's game this season.

"He’s a super impressive athlete. There’s not anything on the field he can’t do," Janish said on June 30. "We talk about him offensively. But he can steal a base, play defense, he can really throw. I’ve said this about him before, the thing that has impressed me is the way he deals with staff, his teammates. The way he treats the clubhouse guy with respect. Just a really really impressive kid.”

The White Sox acquired Montgomery in December as part of the Garrett Crochet trade with the Boston Red Sox, who also sent Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth and Wikelman Gonzalez to Chicago. Crochet is contending for the AL Cy Young award, but the White Sox like return they received, with three players already reaching the majors and Montgomery making the jump to Double-A in his first professional season.

"Feel really good," Getz said of the trade on June 23. "Once again you kind of go back to where we were going into 2024 with Garrett Crochet and the unknowns, whether he was going to be able to start or not. Now you look at where you are today and have been able to convert Garrett Crochet into multiple players that can help us. We feel like we're in a much better place."