2021 Draft Preview: Colson Montgomery (SS)

NAME: Colson Montgomery
SCHOOL: Southridge High School (IN)
POSITION: SS
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’4″ 190
B/T: L/R
D.O.B.: 2/27/02
PREVIOUSLY DRAFTED: No (Committed to Indiana)

Scouting Report

Colson Montgomery is the all time leading scorer for his high school in southern Indiana. Southridge High School is located in Huntingburg, Indiana, which resides in Dubois County. The school is made up of 500 students and while Montgomery has enough promise in basketball to play for multiple division one programs, baseball is definitely his future. The infielder is about to become the highest drafted player from Southridge High School but Alex Graman, Mitch Stetter and Tim Barrett all stepped foot on campus as well.

Montgomery has averaged more than 20 points per game in four varsity seasons on the hardwood and he shows immense raw power and plate patience on the high school level while displaying his athletic exploits on the diamond. The 19-year-old has been a three sport athlete (football, baseball and basketball) during his prep career and he’s one of many high school infielders that could go in the first round this July. Montgomery had plans to play both baseball and basketball at Indiana University but it seems to be a long shot that he’ll make it on campus at this rate.

The left-handed hitter did well for himself on the showcase circuit and really stood out using wood bats at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in October. He also played on the White Sox’s Area Code Team in the games and participated in the East Coast Pro event where he displayed power but had some swing and miss issues. The infielder is the top prospect in the state of Indiana according to Perfect Game and Max Preps as well.

Interview with Prospect’s Live

Basketball Highlights

Some High School Footage

Montgomery at the Area Code Games

Scouting Grades

*Scouting grades are according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings, grades may vary between different publications*

Hit: 50

Run: 45

Field: 50

Power: 55

Arm: 55

Overall: 50

Prospect Overview and Future Outlook

Colson Montgomery is one of the most physical athletes in the prep class. The 6’4″ infielder possesses a pretty left-handed swing with present ability to hit for average and power. He effectively uses a whole field approach and can drive the ball. MLB Pipeline ranks the Indiana prep as the #48 overall prospect in the class and they note that he has a similar frame to Corey Seager’s at the same age. Montgomery has the strength and bat speed to develop more power according to the publication. He’s a shortstop but his fringy speed and overall size could necessitate a move to third base as a professional.

Perfect Game noted that the high schooler hits from a “tall stance and drifts his lower half into contact from a high lift trigger with a fluid swing and some bat speed and leverage”. Baseball America recently updated their top 500 list and Montgomery landed at #43 overall in the class. The publication surmises that the infielder possesses 60-grade power with a chance to get to more at his peak. The write-up notes that Colson “should be a consistent home run threat” but they also mention that his “long levers could lead to swing and miss issues” in the future. Even if a move to third base is necessary, Montgomery should profile as an average defender with a solid arm.

Mock Draft Outcomes

Colson Montgomery hasn’t been seen as a no doubt first rounder in every mock draft but he’s been linked to the White Sox pretty extensively in recent weeks. In the latest edition from Jim Callis at Pipeline, Montgomery is mocked to the White Sox at #22 overall but he’s also been linked to the Mets and Reds in recent days. Here at FutureSox, I projected Montgomery to the White Sox in the first round as well back on May 23. In Mock Draft 5.0 at Prospect’s Live, the team sent Montgomery to the White Sox in the first round as well.

In late May, Keith Law of The Athletic released a mock draft and while he sent a prep pitcher to the White Sox in round one, he noted that the club is interested in Montgomery as a possibility. The latest at Baseball America from Carlos Collazo doesn’t have Montgomery listed in the first round but Eric Longenhagen and Kevin Goldstein at FanGraphs tied the Indiana prep to Chicago as well. In the latest from Jonathan Mayo at Pipeline, he sends the prep infielder to the Chicago Cubs at #21, one spot before the White Sox. Kiley McDaniel joined the fray as well and mocked Montgomery to the White Sox in his latest mock draft for ESPN.

Potential Fit with the White Sox

The White Sox have selected plenty of prep talent in recent years but they haven’t taken a high school player in the first round since selecting Courtney Hawkins back in 2012. There’s a very realistic shot that the streak ends this year as the scouting department has been linked to multiple players of the prep variety. White Sox evaluators have been to southern Indiana to see Colson Montgomery on numerous occasions and they had some high level decision makers at his most recent playoff game.

Could this be the year that the White Sox break their first round trend? It seems likely at this point. Getting younger in the system makes sense for the organization and Montgomery would line up with the second wave of talent; currently in A ball. The White Sox have less money to spend on the 2021 draft than they’ve had in recent years and the Indiana prep could come at a slight discount from the slot value which would allow Mike Shirley and his staff to select upside plays throughout day two as well.

The organization needs to add left-handed bats and focusing on teenagers would benefit the franchise as well. With the White Sox firmly in contention in the American League, they don’t need immediate contributors in the big leagues. Skewing younger in the farm system gives them more bullets at the trade deadline and during the off-season however when the front office attempts to fortify a winning roster by discarding interesting minor league talent.

Photo courtesy of Lookout Landing.

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