Braden Montgomery, a former Madison Central High School standout, made an impressive Major League Baseball debut Tuesday, hitting a walk-off home run to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 6-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves in extra innings.
The switch-hitter’s first career home run came in the bottom of the 10th inning. It was his second hit of the game; earlier, he singled to left field in the fourth inning, driving in fellow college alumnus Jacob Gonzalez.
Montgomery finished the game with two hits, three RBIs, and the game-winning home run. Gonzalez also contributed two hits and an RBI in the contest.
Montgomery, who played college baseball at Stanford before transferring to Texas A&M, was drafted 12th overall by the Boston Red Sox in 2024. He was traded to the White Sox in December of that year in a deal that sent Ocean Springs native Garrett Crochet to Boston.
Last season, Montgomery excelled in Triple-A with the Charlotte Knights, batting .314 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs. Prior to his debut, he was hitting .314 with 66 hits, 10 homers, and a .970 OPS in the minors.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
