\n<\/p>\n
The biggest question about what Colson Montgomery could do at the major league level?<\/p>\n
Consider it answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cOftentimes, people point to his height and [wonder], \u2018Is he going to be able to stick at shortstop?\u2019\u201d general manager Chris Getz said last week. \u201cI think he\u2019s proven that he can and [that] he can make an impact defensively.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way that he leads the entire field \u2013 the captain, so to speak, on the infield \u2013 he\u2019s got that presence about him. We feel very confident that he\u2019s going to be able to remain at shortstop for a while, and we feel very fortunate to have him at that position.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were obviously a lot of questions, as recently as early this season, about Montgomery\u2019s ability to even make the leap to the majors. After a disappointing 2024 campaign with Triple-A Charlotte, he got off to a miserable start there and was sent to Arizona for 1-on-1 work with first-year hitting director Ryan Fuller.<\/p>\n
That experiment worked, and Montgomery hit the ground running as a big leaguer, no longer needing to worry about just making it. He put on a late-summer power-hitting display, with 18 homers in a 37-game span.<\/p>\n
But the evaluators always had confidence in his bat. It\u2019s the glove they questioned, wondering if someone of his build could stick as a major league shortstop.<\/p>\n
The glove, though, has been just as impressive and even more consistent, answering all those questions and proving the doubters wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes me feel good,\u201d Montgomery said in a conversation with the Sun-Times on Sunday. \u201cA lot of people, they doubt you just because of your size, being able to play shortstop. What I always say is: \u2018You\u2019ve seen people my size play shortstop, so why can\u2019t I play shortstop?\u2019 I feel like I\u2019m just as athletic or more athletic than most shortstops, even being 6-5.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always just believed in myself that I knew I was a shortstop, and I felt that was enough for me. I didn\u2019t think I really needed anyone else\u2019s approval, because I feel like in this game, you can seek people\u2019s approval, [for] if you\u2019re going to be good enough or if you can do stuff. It\u2019s not good.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been there before, and I\u2019ve learned that believing in yourself is the best thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
That self-belief has been a Montgomery trademark, even as he went through his struggles in the minors, and it\u2019s helped him reach the majors and succeed.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not all sunshine and rainbows, and Montgomery\u2019s heading to the finish line on an extended slump. Since his most recent home run, he\u2019s batting just .174 in his last 14 games.<\/p>\n
Ask him about what\u2019s gone right, and you\u2019ll get a big smile. Ask him about what hasn\u2019t, and you\u2019ll get the attitude that comes with a lesson learned.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if I didn\u2019t have any success, I would still be pretty excited for next year,\u201d Montgomery said, \u201cjust because you learn a lot through struggles more than successes. All I\u2019m really focused on coming to the end of the season is just staying healthy and learning from experiences and trying to adjust.\u201d<\/p>\n
Montgomery\u2019s arrival has been perhaps the most exciting for Sox fans awaiting the fruits of Getz\u2019s rebuilding effort. But he\u2019s been far from the only one to make a rookie-year impact and generate excitement for the future, playing alongside Chase Meidroth, Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero in a budding position-player core.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing down the stretch, you\u2019ve seen how the lineup\u2019s been playing out, and it might be how it will be for a long time,\u201d Montgomery said. \u201cIt\u2019s been good, all of us coming up here, growing together, having some good experiences, some bad. With this group of guys, we\u2019re going to keep learning and keep getting better.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve shown it, too. It gets us more motivated to come into next year and start strong and see where it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n