Colson Montgomery isn't exactly lighting up the Arizona Complex League in his first cuts in professional baseball, but the first-round pick doesn't look overmatched, either.
He's hitting .257/.395/.329 with five doubles, 12 walks and 16 strikeouts over 86 plate appearances, with five errors in 20 games (.921 fielding percentage). They're all middle-of-the-road numbers, and with no video feeds for ACL games, we're left to guess about strengths and weaknesses until somebody can fill in the blanks.
Fortunately, Baseball Prospectus' Trevor Andresen stepped in with a scouting report from Montgomery's debut season:
Selected with the 22nd-overall pick this past July, Montgomery is a 6-foot-4 205 pound infielder with a lean, athletic build and room for additional strength gains. There’s some rawness to the hit tool, as you would expect from a multi-sport Indiana high school kid, but there is plenty of present raw ability. His swing can get too handsy/inside-out at times and the swing decisions are in need of refinement, but he generates plenty of bat speed and projects for above-average power at maturity.
Currently a shortstop, Montgomery is athletic on the dirt with advanced body control and an easy, loose arm with solid-average strength. Physical maturity will almost certainly force him over to third base, where his feel on the dirt helps him project as a strong defender.
It will require additional development, but the tools are there for an everyday player on the left side of the infield.
Jacksonville 2, Charlotte 1
- Adam Engel went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Blake Rutherford singled and struck out thrice.
- Jake Burger went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.
- Micker Adolfo was 1-for-3 with a double, walk and strikeout.
Notes:
*The White Sox added Kevin McCarthy to the Knights bullpen as they scrounge for arms to get through the rest of the season.
Birmingham 3, Rocket City 0
- Carlos Pérez went 2-for-4 with a homer.
- Yoelqui Céspedes singled, struck out twice and stole a base.
- Lenyn Sosa went 1-for-4.
Winston-Salem 9, Bowling Green 8
- Jose Rodriguez went 2-for-5 with a triple.
- Luis Curbelo was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Harvin Mendoza went 3-for-5 with a homer and a strikeout.
- Yoelvin Silven: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Highlights:
*Mendoza's heroics:
Fayetteville 9, Kannapolis 1
- Wilber Sanchez went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Bryan Ramos was 0-for-4 with a K.
- Caberea Weaver returned to Kannapolis and went 1-for-3 with a strikeout and a stolen base.
- Chase Krogman was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
- Misael Gonzalez went 0-for-3 with a K.
Notes:
*The Cannon Ballers struck out 14 times against no walks.
ACL Reds 6, ACL White Sox 4
- Colson Montgomery went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Wilfred Veras struck out in both at-bats.
- Wes Kath struck out twice during an 0-for-4.
- Cam Butler walked once and struck out thrice.
- Jefferson Mendoza went 1-for-4 with a homer and a strikeout.
- Logan Glass went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an HBP, breaking a 20-game streak with at least one strikeout.
- Erick Bello: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 1 HR
DSL White Sox 4, DSL D-backs1 3 (7 innings)
- Carlos Jimenez went 1-for-3 with a stolen base.
- Victor Quezada was 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
(Photo by David Banks/USA TODAY Sports)
