Colson Montgomery fights for shortstop spot with White Sox

Even as questions lingered about his 6-foot-3 frame, Colson Montgomery has made a major-league argument at shortstop for the White Sox—saying his mindset is simple: play the position, make the outs, and keep your range.

Colson Montgomery doesn’t flinch when the conversation turns to his height. He’s 6-foot-3, a lanky presence with a build that has made people wonder if his future at shortstop would be limited to a corner infield role or even the outfield.

But at the major-league level, Montgomery has answered the doubt with work—at least in the one place that matters most to a shortstop: making the plays.

Montgomery has played 102 big-league games at short, and he has made clear where he wants to stay.

“It’s how you play,” Montgomery said. “If you prove and show you can make the outs, you can keep your range, and things like that, why can’t you stay there? That kind of keeps my mindset focused on I’m a shortstop and that’s where I want to play.”

A year into his White Sox career. Montgomery has shown he can hold a shortstop job in the real. day-to-day rhythm of the position. Last year, he compiled six outs above average at shortstop in just 60 games. In 2026, he’s picked up where he left off. He has already matched the six outs above average and sits third in baseball. behind only the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. (13) and the Brewers’ Joey Ortiz (7).

Those numbers don’t capture everything, though. What stands out is how he’s getting to the ball—his quick-twitch skills. his feel for the ground-level angles of the position. and the consistency of routine plays. White Sox manager Will Venable said the improvement isn’t just flashes of athleticism, but repeatable reliability.

“A lot of it for some of these guys is just making the routine play and he has just been incredibly consistent in making the plays he should,” Venable said. “And then he’s able to tap into the athleticism and make some special plays as well.”

The question about Montgomery’s size is rooted in how shortstop has often been imagined historically. The assumption is straightforward: shorter players tend to have a lower center of gravity. which can translate to quicker movement. better range of motion. and staying close to the ground when the ball hits the infield.

On Opening Day this year. the average height of the 29 starting shortstops other than Montgomery was 72.2 inches—just a tick above 6 feet. Though it’s an imperfect metric, Gold Glove shortstops since 2021 have averaged 72.1 inches. Only 2021 American League winner Carlos Correa (6-3) is listed as tall as Montgomery.

Still, Venable said the lesson from experience is that the job is about performance, not archetype.

“When you think about shortstop in general, a lot of it for some guys is…,” Venable said. “To me, if you can play your position, you can play your position. I get it, but if guys can make plays, they can make plays.”

That line lands with weight because Venable has seen what it looks like when a shortstop of a different build performs at an elite level. Before he was hired by the Sox. Venable spent two seasons with the Rangers as associate manager on Bruce Bochy’s staff. Venable picked up a World Series ring when Texas won the 2023 World Series. That Rangers team was fueled by 6-4 shortstop Corey Seager.

Last year, Seager put up a career-high 16 defensive runs saved above average. He finished in the top 5 of his league five times in range factor per game among shortstops. Seager has also played shortstop for two championship teams: those Rangers teams, and the 2020 Dodgers.

“To me, if you can play your position, you can play your position,” Venable said. “Being around Corey Seager, he does a fine job of it. I get it, but if guys can make plays, they can make plays.”

Montgomery is leaning on that same idea as he settles into the long season. His power draws attention, but he said his pride is tied to the defense—especially because the size question has followed him.

“I come in every single day, do whatever I can to get my body and my mind ready to play the best nine innings of defense that I can,” Montgomery said.

For Montgomery, the argument for shortstop isn’t theoretical. It’s lived out in the plays he makes—routine ground balls handled. range showed to either side. charges taken on slower balls. and outs produced when the margin for error is razor thin. In 2026, he’s not trying to prove he fits. He’s proving he belongs.

Colson Montgomery White Sox shortstop Will Venable Bobby Witt Jr. Joey Ortiz Carlos Correa Corey Seager 2026 baseball defense