While the minor leagues are usually dark on Monday, the schedule made an exception this week to accommodate the sizable draw that the holiday usually generate, so here's a welcome full slate of games to start the week.
Also welcome: this scouting report of Colson Montgomery by Keith Law.
On Tuesday night, I caught the White Sox’s High-A affiliate, Winston-Salem, at Baltimore’s affiliate in Aberdeen. Winston-Salem featured shortstop Colson Montgomery, Chicago’s first-round pick in 2021 out of an Indiana high school, who has been outstanding at the plate at two levels so far this year as a 20-year-old. He’s had two hits in four of his seven games so far in High A. I did not get to one of those games, although he did have one hit, so this isn’t a Luis Robert situation, but he played the hell out of shortstop, with a quick first step and a plus arm, making two good plays coming in on softly hit balls. His swing is good, if sometimes long, and he did show he could pull his hands in to shorten up and stay inside the ball. The big question about Montgomery in high school was whether he could hit better pitching, since he hadn’t done so as an amateur, but so far the results are very, very promising.
Law also issued a positive review of Oscar Colás, although he cautioned against "some trouble with breaking stuff."
Gwinnett 6, Charlotte 4
- Yolbert Sánchez and Carlos Pérez both were 2-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Eloy Jimeénz played the entire game in left field and went 2-for-4.
Tennessee 9, Birmingham 5
- More hot local singles for José Rodríguez, who went 3-for-5 with a strikeout and a stolen base.
- Yoelqui Céspedes went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Winston-Salem 5, Wilmington 1
- Colson Montgomery went 2-for-3 with a walk.
- Oscar Colás, 2-for-4.
- Bryan Ramos stranded six while wearing the collar.
- Luis Mieses doubled, singled and struck out twice.
- Adam Hackenberg went 1-for-2 with two walks.
- Christian Mena's best High-A start yet: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Carolina 4, Kannapolis 3
- Wes Kath went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
- DJ Gladney was 0-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts.
- Wilfred Veras wore the collar and silver sombrero, but without the walk.
- Brooks Gosswein: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
- Manuel Veloz's A-ball debut: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
ACL White Sox 8, ACL Cubs 2
- Cam Butler went 1-for-3 with two walks, a strikeout and a stolen base.
- Luis Pineda was 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Dario Borrero, 2-for-5 with a double.
- Victor Quezada singled, walked and struck out twice.
- Yohemy Nolasco: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
- Emerson Talavera: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
DSL Brewers 2 6, DSL White Sox 4
- Ryan Burrowes went 1-for-5 with a strikeout and a stolen base.
- Loidel Chapelli homered, singled, walked twice and was caught stealing.
- Carlos Jimenez went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Leandro Alsinois was 1-for-4.
