Colson Montgomery just did the unthinkable for a slugger heading into the postseason. On Friday, Sept. 25, the White Sox infielder looked at a 93 mph fastball for his 224th strikeout of the 2026 season, shattering a record that stood for 17 years and carving out a new, unwanted piece of MLB history. Seriously, 224 punchouts is absolutely wild. It’s a new all-time single-season high, and he did it staring at a third-pitch strike from Rockies pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano. Just brutal to watch, even if it’s not our guy.
The White Sox Are Postseason Bound, But This Bat is a Head-Scratcher
The craziest part? Montgomery isn’t some bench player. This 24-year-old, in just his second MLB season, is a central figure for a White Sox team that’s had a legit “resurgent 2026 season” and is actually “heading back to the postseason.” Think about that for a second. While guys like Miguel Vargas, Sean Burke, and Davis Martin have all been breaking out, Montgomery’s been mashing over 30 home runs and driving in 85 RBIs. That’s serious power. But his full stat line for the year really tells the tale: 152 games, 564 at-bats, 112 hits, 71 runs, 24 doubles, 31 homers, 87 RBIs, 54 walks… and 225 strikeouts, with a .199 average. How do you have that kind of production and that many K’s on a playoff team? It’s the ultimate all-or-nothing approach, personified.
A New King of the K’s, and Our Own Mariners History
For 17 years, Mark Reynolds owned this infamous record, setting it at 223 strikeouts back in 2009 with the Diamondbacks over 155 games and 578 at-bats. He’d even broken his own record from the year before, which was 204 K’s. That 2009 season, where Reynolds blasted 44 homers and 102 RBIs but whiffed 223 times, was kinda a peek into the future of baseball. Since then, we’ve seen a bunch of sluggers flirt with that 200-strikeout mark: Adam Dunn (222 K in 2012 for the White Sox), James Wood (221 K in 2025 with the Nationals), Chris Davis (219 K in 2016 for the Orioles), Elly De La Cruz (218 K in 2024 for the Reds), and Kyle Schwarber (218 K in 2026 for the Phillies, and 215 K in 2023). But none of them hit Reynolds’ 223 until Montgomery stepped up. And guess who else made this list that hits home for us? Our very own Eugenio Suarez, who punched out 214 times for the Mariners in 2023. We all watched that season, right? It was a rollercoaster of incredible homers followed by frustrating, empty swings. Montgomery’s 225 K’s just make Suarez’s 214 look, well, not quite as lonely at the top.
Montgomery’s White Sox are still playoff-bound, but you gotta wonder how much damage this kind of all-or-nothing approach will do in October. As for us in the Emerald City, let’s hope our guys like Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh keep their bats connected and away from these kinds of unwelcome records. We’ve seen that struggle, and it’s not a fun ride.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply