White Sox fans were treated to the long-awaited arrival of top outfield prospect Braden Montgomery on Tuesday evening, and his impact on the lineup was immediately felt. The 23-year-old outfielder struck out in his first big league at bat, but followed it up with an RBI single for his first major league hit against Braves starter Grant Holmes. This was far from Braden’s biggest impact on the evening, however. With the White Sox trailing by a run and down to their final out in extra innings, Montgomery came to the plate against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias. The Sox just needed a base hit to tie up the game, but Montgomery delivered one better, lining a middle-middle changeup into the left field bullpen for a game-winning home run.

Not only did Montgomery become just the fifth player in MLB history to hit a walk-off home run in his major league debut, but his home run was the first allowed by Iglesias all season. Iglesias entered the ballgame with a 0.87 ERA, allowed just two runs prior to Tuesday night. It was a historic night for Montgomery and the White Sox, and it’s a game White Sox fans will remember for years to come.

Montgomery’s arrival puts the final stamp on the Garrett Crochet trade

Montgomery became the fourth and final piece of the famous Garrett Crochet trade to make his major league debut, with the other three debuting last season. Chase Meidroth was the first member of the deal to make his debut, and the infielder has improved his .649 OPS in 2025 to .734 so far in 2026. He’s been the primary second baseman for the White Sox, and has been one of the more productive players at the position in the AL.

Catcher Kyle Teel made his debut last June and immediately became an impact presence in the White Sox lineup. Teel’s .273 average and .786 OPS made him a valuable contributor, but injuries have sidelined him so far in 2026. Still, the White Sox know the type of player he is and they look forward to his return soon.

Right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez moved to the bullpen after joining the White Sox organization. He dealt with control issues, but was effective enough in a relief role to get the call and posted a 2.66 ERA in 16 games. Gonzalez was optioned to Charlotte to begin the season and is currently on the injured list, but he has the stuff to be an MLB quality reliever and should get another opportunity soon.

It’s incredibly rare for a team to receive a package of four players in a trade and have all of those players reach the big leagues, let alone all be strong contributors. But the White Sox have high hopes for at least three of the four players acquired in the deal, and all four have the potential to be long term pieces of this team. If you would’ve told GM Chris Getz that this is where we’d be in a year and a half, he’d take it in a heartbeat. It certainly doesn’t hurt the trade value that Garrett Crochet holds a 6.30 ERA this season and is currently on the 60-day IL.

The Red Sox will likely receive tremendous contributions from Garrett Crochet and he’s probably going to be a huge part of their future. But the White Sox received four big league players, and at least three of them have the potential to be long-term pieces and play big roles on the next playoff White Sox team. That feels like a massive win.