The Chicago White Sox finished the 2026 regular season with 1,494 strikeouts at the plate, the second most in the American League after the Los Angeles Angels. The biggest culprit for the White Sox was Colson Montgomery , who set a franchise record and a single-season major league record of 227 strikeouts.
This data leaves the South Side with a dilemma ahead of next season: should they keep their young shortstop, or should he be sold for a starting pitcher , which the team badly needs after their shortcomings in the postseason?
It has also ignited a debate among the White Sox faithful about whether keeping Montgomery is an ideal move for the franchise. In this postseason, Montgomery recorded 21 at-bat appearances in seven games, but managed just five hits with a batting average of .238 and five strikeouts.
Sep 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery (12) hits a three RBI double during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Of course, most players with high strikeout rates play first base, corner outfield, and designated hitter, which Montgomery does not play. However, it is too early to write off the 24-year-old infielder due to his high swing-and-miss numbers. Montgomery is a rare talent in the league, a left-handed shortstop who hit over 30 home runs in the regular season, and there are very few kinds of players on the open market with the same capabilities.
There's no doubt that Montgomery's indiscipline at the plate was among the biggest issues of the 2026 White Sox season. He beat the previous MLB single-season strikeout record set by Mark Reynolds (223) in 2009. He holds a 35.6% strikeout rate this season, the worst among qualified hitters, with his teammate Munetaka Murakami (35.4%) coming in second. His strikeout rate spiked to 41% after the All-Star break.
But that shouldn't overshadow the fact that he posted a solid 31 home runs, 87 RBI, 55 walks, and added 23 doubles this season, proving he can make the ball fly.
Also, Montgomery is not an undisciplined free swinger at the plate, as many have pointed out. He made some necessary adjustments to his plate discipline under pressure during the postseason, with his batting average moving from .197 in the regular season to .238, his OPS rising from .710 to .814, and his on-base percentage from .280 to .385. That means there can be more adjustments to flattening his swing this winter to handle elevated-velocity pitches.
Besides that, defensively, the 24-year-old recorded +10 Outs Above Average (OAA) and has a 75% success rate on defensive attempts. In the regular season, he turned 52 double plays defensively as a shortstop and was involved in 8 grounds-into-double-play (GIDP) plays.
Montgomery recorded 166 putouts and 303 assists, just 65 fewer than St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt , who led the major leagues in assists this season. For a 6'3 left-handed shortstop to produce this volume of offensive and defensive production should give Chicago something to be happy about.
2026 marked Montgomery's first full season in the majors. And mistakes are part of what a talented player has to go through to develop at their position and in the league.
The aging curve for most baseball players has shown that swing-and-miss rates typically spike early in a hitter's career as they try to adjust to elite fastballs and pitchers. Contact adjustment at-bats are not rushed, as experience helps to provide balance. With the offseason already begun for the White Sox , part of his practice will be how to reduce the strikeout rate.
Speaking of strikeout rate, it should be noted that high K's are no longer the death knell as they were two decades or so ago. Reynolds, who previously held the strikeout record of 223, posted 44 home runs and 102 RBI for the Arizona Diamondbacks that same season (2009).
Kyle Schwarber is known for routinely flirting with over 200 strikeouts each season, but his elite offensive production cannot be questioned. In 2026, he hit 45 home runs and drove in 97 RBIs across 156 games for the Philadelphia Phillies. His 45 home runs were the third time in his career he was at least tied for the major league lead.
That doesn't mean Montgomery needs to be given the freedom to strike out; it only points out that it's not a disadvantage if there can be adjustments to his hitting technique. He already has a raw power profile, highlighted by his top 12% barrel rate and 45% hard-hit rate, which proves that his contact quality is already high-grade.
The White Sox don't need Montgomery to become a .280 contact hitter by next season. Ideally, they need him to hit between 30 and 40 home runs and at least 90 RBI, while producing his solid defense at the middle of the infield.
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Main Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
