Colson Montgomery Is Ready To Put In The Work

After drafting high school shortstop Colson Montgomery in the first round, Mike Shirley couldn’t contain his enthusiasm.

“He is famous,” the White Sox scouting director said.

In Southern Indiana, that is certainly the case.

The 19-year-old Montgomery played three sports at Southridge High in Huntingburg. He was a star basketball player who drew interest from the Indiana Hoosiers and a standout quarterback in football.

But baseball was always Montgomery’s top sport. He quickly signed with Chicago for a full-slot bonus of $3.027 million as the No. 22 overall pick.

“Now, this is my life,” Montgomery said. “Baseball is my life right now, and I’m very excited to get after it and put all the work in for it.”

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Montgomery will begin his career in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League after hitting .338 with seven home runs in 27 games as a senior. The lefthanded hitter led Southridge to the Indiana Class 3A state championship.

The White Sox will give Montgomery a long look at shortstop, but a future move to third base or the outfield won’t be out of the question given his size.

“You have an easy-moving athlete, graceful,” Shirley said. “He does the part defensively, gets to the impact of the bat.”

Chicago stocked up with young pitching prospects like Jared Kelley, Matt Thompson and Andrew Dalquist the past two years. This time around, high school infielders were at the top of their wish list.

“We feel like the skill set of some of these infielders that present themselves are significant for us,” Shirley said. “They’re the pieces of the puzzle that are screaming at us a little bit.”

With their second-round pick, the White Sox drafted third baseman Wes Kath out of Desert Mountain High in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“I think my next step is getting bigger, stronger, faster,” Montgomery said. “. . . Wanting and knowing I can stay at shortstop, I’m going to have to put a lot of work in with my footwork and all that stuff. I just want to develop to be the best.”

CHI-LITES

— Before drafting Colson Montgomery, Chicago last used its first-round pick on a prep player in 2012, when it took outfielder Courtney Hawkins. He has not reached the major leagues.

— After making a good impression in 15 games with the White Sox, third baseman Jake Burger was optioned back to Triple-A Charlotte when Eloy Jimenez was reinstated from the injured list in late July.

— Out since early May with a torn right hip flexor, center fielder Luis Robert joined High-A Winston-Salem on a rehab assignment on July 21. He moved to Triple-A Charlotte on July 27.