Montgomery's elite performance makes him a worthy All-Star candidate

Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery. David Banks-Imagn Images

Colson Montgomery's elite performance makes him a worthy All-Star candidate

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Jun 19, 2026 1:39 PM ET

The Chicago White Sox have a rising star on their hands with Colson Montgomery, whose elite performance has made him a worthy candidate for his first AL All-Star selection.

Montgomery has continued to dominate as he crushed his 20th home run in a 5-1 victory over the New York Yankees on June 18. The youngster has hit well against the Yankees in his career, boasting a .333 batting average with 11 hits, five home runs, eight RBI and six runs scored across nine games.

His 41st career home run, which came on June 17 against the Yankees, was monumental as he became the sixth fastest player to reach the milestone. It was also one of three home runs he has hit in his last two games.

At 24 years old, he's already made history by being the only player to hit 20 home runs within his first 275 at-bats in each of his first two seasons. He certainly deserves more recognition as he leads all shortstops in MLB with 20 home runs.

On the strength of last night's home run, Colson Montgomery has moved into the top 10 in baseball for Fangraphs WAR for position players.

It's been awhile since the #WhiteSox had representation on this list. pic.twitter.com/2rsl4w5z51
— Patrick Nolan (@SoxMach_pnoles) June 19, 2026

Why Colson Montgomery is deserving of an All-Star Nod

Along with his historic home run pace this season, Montgomery also leads MLB with a .516 slugging percentage, making him a worthy candidate to be an All-Star this season. He ranks fourth in voting among AL All-Star shortstops, and he's deserving of even more votes.

Since July of last season, Montgomery has hit the second most home runs behind only Kyle Schwarber. He's been an offensive catalyst and cornerstone shortstop for a White Sox team that has shocked fans with its competitive drive in the AL Central this season. But in addition to his elite power, his defensive fielding is also an asset. He is tied for fifth in MLB with a 10 Outs Above Average (OAA).

It’s hard to believe that Montgomery still has room to grow considering the power surge he has unleashed this season, but let's not forget he's only played 141 games as a sophomore.

Montgomery has joined a short yet elite list of shortstops in MLB history to record back-to-back 20-plus home run seasons, including Bobby Witt Jr., Cal Ripken Jr. and Trevor Story. Overall, he's a superstar in the making who finished fifth last season in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Overall, his elite power and solid glovework would make him an admirable All-Star.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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