We are just 17 days away from the 2021 MLB Draft, and the one prospect most tied to the Chicago White Sox for pick 22 is Indiana prep SS Colson Montgomery. I got a chance to watch Montgomery in the Indiana 3A State Final against Hanover Central from Cedar Lake, Indiana. The game itself was a tightly played contest. Ethan Bell (Evansville commit) had the big two-run double that propelled Southridge to their first state championship.
Montgomery only had one plate appearance he was pitched to from Hanover Central starter, Brett Matthys (Purdue-Northwest commit). In the first inning, Montgomery fell behind 0-2 but wouldn't chase any of the breaking pitches from Matthys to work the count full. The 3-2 pitch was an inside fastball that appeared to me, missed the corner, and would have been Ball Four. With the pitch too close to watch, Montgomery pulled a grounder to second base. Montgomery did a good job of hustling down the first baseline and beat the relay throw.
That was the only contact Montgomery made because Hanover Central intentionally walked him in his last two plate appearances. It reminded me of Future Value, written by Kiley McDaniel (ESPN) and Eric Longenhagen (FanGraphs) when they shared stories of scouting prep hitters. Sometimes, the prep stars never see a good pitch to hit or get intentionally walked as Montgomery did.
While I didn't see much of the bat, Montgomery was active defensively. Many believe that Montgomery will move to third base primarily due to his size (6'4"). I slightly disagree with this notion. Yes, I think Montgomery can play third base, but I liked his ability at shortstop. He moves well to his left and right, which I think his basketball experience helps with his range. Montgomery has a strong, accurate arm. He did have one hiccup on a grounder to his right towards the third base hole in which the throw sailed high to first base. The result was pulling the first baseman off the bag, and it was a throwing error charged to Montgomery. Still, he didn't skip any throws across the diamond.
When I watch shortstops, I pay attention to their body control on plays. Watching Tim Anderson over the years develop has helped me. Too often early in his career, Anderson appeared to be out of control fielding slow rollers, and his throwing mechanics were off. In the last couple of seasons, Anderson has a better feel for timing and getting his body better positioned to make accurate throws. It just took time to better develop those skills for Anderson.
Montgomery already has good body control charging in on slow rollers. Even taking that split, half-second to make sure he's in a good throwing position. It was those plays that convinced me that Montgomery could stick at shortstop. Maybe that changes in his development professionally when the grounders are coming at him with higher exit velocities. If you want a defensive comp to a current major leaguer, watching Montgomery play shortstop reminds me of Los Angeles Dodger Corey Seager.
If Montgomery could prove at age 18 he'll hit like Seager professionally; he'd be a Top-10 pick for sure in this year's draft. During the broadcast, they mentioned Montgomery only had one home run during the postseason run and was held hitless in several games. Some wonder about Montgomery's hit tool, which is why some publication rankings don't have him in the Top 30 picks.
This week's MLB Draft Combine could be crucial for Montgomery to increase his draft stock. If he performs well during the scrimmages, there might be a chance that Montgomery is already off the board by the White Sox first-round pick. Something to monitor as MLB Network begins to broadcast the combine on Friday, June 25.
Special night for Will Bednar
Last week, I highlighted three college pitchers that I felt made themselves a lot of money during their Super Regional performances. One of those was Mississippi State RHP Will Bednar, and after Sunday, June 20, he probably made himself even more money.
Opposing RHP Ty Madden of Texas (Looking more like a Top-10 pick in a couple of weeks), Bednar had to match zeros on the scoreboard. Sticking with his fastball and slider combination, Bednar had his best performance of the season, tossing six scoreless innings in a 2-1 victory for Mississippi State. All the Longhorns' offense could muster was one hit and one walk against Bednar while he punched out 15 batters.
There have been some whispers the White Sox have been keeping tabs on college starters for their first pick. I think it's mostly in case the prep hitters they prefer are selected before their selection. Gavin Williams of East Carolina was one name the last few days, but I think Bednar should also be in the mix. A possible insurance policy if Jerry Reinsdorf doesn't approve Rick Hahn's future long-term deal proposal for Lucas Giolito.
Bednar's next start will be Friday, June 25, against the winner of Texas or Virginia. If he duplicates his last outing, Bednar could help send Mississippi State to the College World Series championship round, which starts on Monday, June 28.
