Overview
- Montgomery struck out looking on a 93.3 mph fastball from Tomoyuki Sugano for his 224th K in the fifth inning on Friday, establishing the new major‑league single‑season mark.
- He had tied Mark Reynolds’ 223 record during the White Sox’s Sept. 24 win that also clinched Chicago’s return to the playoffs after back‑to‑back 100‑loss seasons.
- Across 151 games this year Montgomery is hitting about .199 with 31 home runs, roughly 87 RBIs and a roughly 35% strikeout rate that pushed him into record territory.
- White Sox officials have defended his overall value while acknowledging frustration about the frequent strikeouts and stressing that Montgomery is still a young player in development.
- The mark replaces Reynolds’ 2009 total and comes as other high‑strikeout sluggers pursued the record, underlining a league‑wide rise in strikeouts that could shape roster and lineup decisions this postseason.