Braden

Montgomery

McGonigle has been sizzling-hot in the desert recently, batting .462 (6-for-13) with three homers and seven RBI over his last three games. The 21-year-old prodigy is batting .385/.494/.754 with five round-trippers and three steals across 17 games this fall. He’ll enter next season as one of the top prospects in the fantasy landscape and should reach Detroit at some point soon. Here’s the full lineup: McGonigle (SS), Braden Montgomery (CF), Max Anderson (3B), Jonny Farmelo (LF), Blake Mitchell (C), Tommy White (1B), Sam Antonacci (2B), Raudi Rodriguez (DH), Enrique Bradfield Jr. (RF) and Luis De Leon (P).

Montgomery is continuing to recover from a small fracture in his right foot that he suffered when he was hit by a pitch in early September while playing for Double-A Birmingham. The 22-year-old top prospect came over from the Red Sox in last offseason’s Garrett Crochet blockbuster and finished his professional debut batting .270/.360/.444 with 12 homers and 14 steals over 121 games across three levels in Chicago’s system. He’s a top-10 range outfield prospect and a surefire top 50 overall prospect for dynasty purposes heading into next season.

Montgomery was hurt when he was hit by a pitch Saturday. The White Sox are hoping he’ll still be able to play in the Arizona Fall League next month. The 2024 first-round pick finishes his first minor league season at .270/.360/.444 with 12 homers and 14 steals in 121 games between three levels.

Montgomery, one of the prospects the White Sox got from the Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet deal, was hitting .260/.348/.445 with eight homers and five steals in 69 games for Winston-Salem. He’s still seeing some time in center field, but he’ll probably settle into right after making his debut for the White Sox, something that could happen next summer.

Clark and fellow Tigers top prospects Kevin McGonigle and Josue Briceño, who were all promoted earlier this month to Double-A Erie, anchor a junior circuit lineup that is jam-packed with intriguing talents. McGonigle might be the top pure hitter in the minor leagues and has cemented his status as a legitimate top-five prospect for dynasty purposes thanks to his blend of elite plate skills and consistent hard contact. The rest of the lineup features fellow elite shortstop prospect Sebastian Walcott in addition to fascinating slugger Jhostunxon Garcia, also known as The Password. Here’s the full lineup: Clark (CF), Braden Montgomery (LF), C.J. Kayfus (1B), Garcia (RF), Harry Ford (C), Briceño (DH), Walcott (3B), McGonigle (SS), Lombard Jr. (2B) and Parker Messick (P).

It’s certainly a well-deserved promotion. All the 22-year-old outfielder did at Kannapolis was slash .304/.393/.493 with three homers, 19 RBI and six stolen bases in his first 18 games. Let’s see how quickly he can progress through the next level as he inches closer to the big leagues.

The ancillary component of the Garrett Crochet blockbuster, Montgomery is an athletic and toolsy outfielder with a chance to make a significant impact for fantasy purposes down the road. The 21-year-old was selected 12th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft after a standout collegiate career at Texas A&M. He’s a long way from the majors, but he’s going to rise pretty rapidly on dynasty rankings over the next few months. He checked in as the 65th-ranked prospect in Rotoworld’s latest dynasty rankings update.

McWilliams notes that Kyle Teel is involved in the trade, while Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic notes that Boston will also send Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Wikelman Gonzalez in the deal. The Mets, Yankees and a host of other teams all reportedly had interest in acquiring Crochet, but it appears Boston will get arguably the top pitcher available on the market. Assuming there are no hangups, Crochet should pitch at the top of the Boston rotation, and his ability to miss bats makes him one of the best fantasy bets for 2025.