Shortstop Colson Montgomery socked 21 home runs. Chase Meidroth, Montgomery’s double-play partner for portions of the season, collected 114 hits.
Catcher Kyle Teel, acquired along with Meidroth last offseason in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, had a .273 batting average. Fellow catcher Edgar Quero hit .268.
And pitcher Grant Taylor became a late-inning option, finishing with six saves.
Those were some of the players who began 2025 in the minors before making an impact for the Chicago White Sox.
Another round of prospects is aiming to aid the Sox in the near future.
“We’ve got some young players in the minor leagues that are getting closer to the big leagues,” general manager Chris Getz said Wednesday at the GM meetings in Las Vegas. “The obvious ones were out in the (Arizona Fall League) that are still playing. (Outfielder) Braden Montgomery has had a tremendous fall league. (Infielder) Sam Antonacci has been outstanding. (Pitcher) Hagen Smith has done really well.
“Those guys are getting closer and closer. They’ll get in the fold next year at some point. We’ll figure out the timing on that.”
Braden Montgomery rebounded well from a small fracture in his right foot suffered in early September that cut short his regular season. He slashed .366/.527/.634 with one home run and 11 RBIs in 12 games for the AFL’s Glendale Desert Dogs.
Getz pointed to the “refinement” in Montgomery’s swing.
“I was very impressed with what he’s doing at the plate,” Getz said. “His body looks great. He looks stronger than ever. The way his body is just moving just continues to get better.”
Ranked the top prospect in the Sox system by MLB.com, Montgomery played for Class A Kannapolis, High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham in 2025. Like Meidroth and Teel, the 22-year-old was part of the trade that sent Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox.
“Everyone I talk to that’s interacted with Braden Montgomery, they just love this guy, which is great to hear,” Getz said. “Looking back at Birmingham’s run, they were able to win the championship in the Southern League, and Braden had the option to get to Arizona and rehab and get ready for the fall league. But he wanted to stay with everyone there and finish off that year. Not all players are like that.
“He just loves being with the boys and he has fun being around the game and he’s determined to be great. And it’s our job to guide him in the right direction.”
White Sox outfield prospect Braden Montgomery signs autographs during spring training at Camelback Ranch on Feb. 15, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz.(Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
The Red Sox selected Montgomery with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 draft. Smith went No. 5 in that draft to the White Sox.
Smith, 22, had a 2.57 ERA with 21 strikeouts and six walks in five starts for Glendale in the AFL. MLB.com lists the left-hander as the No. 5 prospect in the Sox system.
“He continued to strike hitters out at a regular rate,” Getz said. “He was getting ahead and throwing more strikes, candidly. Walk total wasn’t as high as it was for stretches of the season.
“He’s getting more comfortable in his delivery. That’s really been a focus. He’s been working on a changeup. That has shown to be effective. His fastball-slider combo is a pretty lethal combo. The changeup could really help him, especially against right-handed hitters.”
Smith made 20 starts in 2025 for Birmingham.
“I can sense that he’s ready to get to the big leagues,” Getz said. “Now, when that happens, I don’t know. But I can tell, you probably ask him, he probably thinks that he’s ready. His demeanor on the mound, the way he’s attacking the zone. He’s a special arm too. I don’t think that he’s necessarily far off either.”
White Sox pitching prospect Noah Schultz throws during spring training at Camelback Ranch on Feb. 15, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz.(Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Fellow lefty Noah Schultz is the No. 2 prospect in the Sox system, according to MLB.com. Schultz, 22, pitched for Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte in 2025, but his season ended in early September because of patellar tendinitis in his right knee.
“It’s really about — for him — recovery, his (physical therapy) work, his strength work,” Getz said during a video conference last week. “Before you know it, we’ll be in the throwing program, get him off a mound and see how he feels. The feedback has been very good and we still anticipate him being ready to be full go in spring training.”
Getz sees Antonacci, 22, as a possible left-handed option as the Sox strive for some left-right hitting balance in the infield. In 19 AFL games, Antonacci slashed .378/.505/.541 with three home runs and 14 RBIs. He’s the No. 11 prospect in the Sox system according to MLB.com.
This next wave of prospects can point to the 2025 group as inspiration.
“It’s possible that it’s a motivation,” Getz said Wednesday, “whether it be Braden or Antonacci or Hagen or Noah, that they’re seeing some of these quote-unquote peers get to the big leagues and have some success and getting their careers going at the major-league level. I do believe that they want to be a part of that group.
“And it has a chance to be something really special with all of them together. You look at the energy, the enjoyment of being in the clubhouse, playing these games with that group this year — especially the second half. And it’s great to know that we’ve got more players coming … because they do feed off each other.”