Colson Montgomery, the Chicago White Sox shortstop, just etched his name into the MLB record books in a way nobody really expected this season. He struck out looking in the fifth inning of Friday’s game against the Colorado Rockies, marking his 224th strikeout of the season. That’s not just a big number, that’s a brand new MLB single-season strikeout record, blowing past the mark set by former Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Mark Reynolds back in 2009.
A New Kind of Record, A Playoff Berth
Montgomery had tied Reynolds’ record the day before, picking up one strikeout in the White Sox’s win over the Kansas City Royals. But Friday, he took it all for himself. What’s even crazier? That same game where Montgomery broke the record also clinched Chicago’s first playoff berth in five years! Talk about a wild night for that squad. The league had a feeling someone was going to shatter this record this season, thanks to a bunch of high-strikeout hitters out there. Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber is right on Montgomery’s heels at 218 K’s, and Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto is sitting at 211. But Montgomery surged ahead in a sort of come from behind win for the strikeout crown.
Racking Up Ks But Still Crushing Dingers
So, yeah, Montgomery is striking out a ton. In September alone, he’s already had seven games with at least three strikeouts. He’s even had six four-strikeout games this season. But here’s where it gets interesting: his hitting hasn’t been completely awful. While his batting average (.202) and on-base percentage (.288) are definitely on the low side, his slugging percentage (.418) and OPS (.701) are actually pretty close to league average. He’s managed to smash 31 home runs, rack up 112 hits, and drive in 87 RBI. It just goes to show you that even with all those strikeouts, when he connects, he connects big.
From Embarrassment to a Badge of Honor
Before Montgomery, Mark Reynolds’ record had stood for years, with multiple players coming close but never quite matching it. Reynolds himself told The Athletic back in July that he used to see the stat as “embarrassing.” Now, he views it as a “badge of honor.” He even said, “How many big-league records do you have?” Good point, Mark, good point. He also joked about possibly doing a ceremonial handoff on “SportsCenter.” Now that Montgomery has officially passed him, we’ll all be watching to see if that actually happens. What a wild season for this record to finally fall.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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