Colson Montgomery Sets MLB Single-Season Strikeout Record

Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery has set a new Major League Baseball record for strikeouts in a single season, recording his 224th strikeout on Friday night. This surpasses the previous record of 223 held by Mark Reynolds since 2009.

The historic strikeout occurred in the fifth inning during a home game against the Colorado Rockies, with Montgomery fanning on a 93-mph fastball from Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano.

Despite the unenviable record, the 24-year-old Montgomery has had a productive season for the White Sox. He is batting .199 with 31 home runs and 87 runs batted in, and has posted a 1.9 WAR. His defensive contributions have been particularly noted, with Chicago's director of hitting, Ryan Fuller, calling his year "unbelievable."

Montgomery tied the previous record on Thursday night in Kansas City. However, the team's focus was on clinching their first playoff berth since 2021, a significant achievement that makes them the first team in MLB history to reach the postseason after consecutive 100-loss seasons.

In recent games, Montgomery has struggled, hitting .111 in September with 38 strikeouts and eight walks. Reflecting on his performance, Montgomery stated, "I was told this by someone really close, that I know, is they asked me: ‘Did Shaquille O’Neal care about his free-throw percentage? Probably not.’ He’s just going out there and doing the things he knows he’s really good at and that’s dominating his craft. It’s what I’m trying to do. Try not to think about it at all.”

Manager Will Venables expressed confidence in his shortstop, noting, “In Colson’s case, he doesn’t like the strikeout, but I also don’t see him going up there just trying not to strike out, or the idea of a strikeout is consuming him or taking away from his approach and aggressiveness.”

Montgomery's record-setting season comes as the White Sox prepare for the postseason. They will finish the regular season with two more games against Colorado. Currently, they trail Cleveland by one game in the AL Central and are positioned to be either the No. 2 seed, earning a bye, or the No. 6 seed, facing the AL West winner in the Wild Card round.

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber is also nearing the record, with 218 strikeouts and two games remaining against the Tampa Bay Rays.