The Lineup Loses Its Shape
The White Sox called up Braden Montgomery from the minors for Tuesday's game against the Braves, and he gave them exactly what they needed. He collected his first career hit and RBI on a single in the fourth inning, then saved the real estate for the bottom of the 10th, where he launched a two-run walk-off home run to seal a 6-5 win in extra innings.
The blast came with two outs and an 0-1 count, the White Sox trailing 5-4. That is a tough spot to be handed, even for a prospect who had been tearing up the minors. Montgomery turned it into the highlight of his career so far, and maybe the highlight of the White Sox's season.
The list looks clean on paper; the hard part is everything that happens after it is printed.
According to CBS Sports Research, Montgomery became just the fifth player in the modern era (since 1900) to hit a walk-off homer in their MLB debut. He joined a list that includes Billy Parker (1971), Josh Bard (2002), Miguel Cabrera (2003) and Carlos Perez (2015). That is rare company, and it is the kind of milestone that does not need much decoration; it already does the talking.
The Replacement Question
The timing could not have been better for the White Sox. They lost two of three to the Phillies over the weekend and now face a brutal stretch: three games against the Braves, then three against the Dodgers at home, then a trip to the Bronx to face the Yankees. On top of that, Munetaka Murakami is on the injured list with a hamstring injury and Colson Montgomery sat out Tuesday with back tightness. Two-thirds of their power-hitting trio was missing against a Braves team sporting the best record in baseball at 45-22.
So the White Sox went to Braden Montgomery, and the move paid off immediately. He was part of the package the White Sox received when they traded lefty ace Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox, along with Chase Meidroth and Kyle Teel. Montgomery was a Texas A&M; product, a first-round pick (12th overall) in the 2024 draft, and ranked as the No. 36 prospect in baseball by MLB.com heading into the spring.
His minor league numbers this season were consistent. In 27 games with Double-A Birmingham, he hit.313/.429/.606 with five doubles, three triples and six home runs. He followed that with 29 games at Triple-A Charlotte, hitting.315/.417/.495 with eight doubles and four home runs. The numbers translated, and they translated fast.
The Waiting Game
The White Sox set a modern MLB record with 121 losses in 2024. They lost 102 games last season. Here in 2026, they are a different team. With this win, they moved to 35-31, holding the top AL Wild Card spot and sitting just a half-game back of the Guardians for the AL Central lead.
It has already been an exciting season on the South Side of Chicago, and this debut just adds another layer to it. The newest Montgomery arrived, and he arrived ready.