The Chicago White Sox have had a great start to the second half, going 5-1 in their first six games and winning back-to-back series against the Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates. The White Sox’s hot start is due to Luis Robert Jr. finally swinging a hot bat and a couple of their young guys, Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery, getting hot at the right time.
The White Sox’s young core is what will help lead them to a better second half, with Teel and Montgomery leading the way so far. The series against the Rays couldn’t have come at a better time for the White Sox’s two young hitters, with both hitting their first career home runs and making a little White Sox history.
Two Chicago White Sox rookies make franchise history with their home runs
Montgomery and Teel have chosen the right time to get hot at the plate, and the right ballpark to do it in, with George Steinbrenner Field proving to be a hitters’ paradise this season. Both got to experience the hype of hitting in Steinbrenner Field, with Teel and Montgomery hitting their first career home runs in back-to-back games.
Montgomery, for his home run, came off right-hander Bryan Baker, who threw a fastball down the heart of the plate, which Montgomery deposited into the rightfield stands.
“COLSON MONTGOMERY’S FIRST MLB HOME RUN”
COLSON MONTGOMERY'S FIRST MLB HOME RUN ‼️ pic.twitter.com/VEsQHWS0Xi
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) July 23, 2025
For Teel, his home run came off the Rays’ hard-throwing right-hander Joe Boyle, who also left a fastball over the heart of the plate, which Teel didn’t miss.
“Kyle Teel launches his first big league homer!”
Kyle Teel launches his first big league homer! 😤 pic.twitter.com/YPp9k1pavI
— MLB (@MLB) July 24, 2025
The White Sox rookie duo, with their home runs, made some franchise history, as they are the first White Sox rookies to hit their first career home runs in back-to-back games, since Chris Getz and Gordon Beckham did it on June 19- 20 of 2009.
“the kids are cooking”
the kids are cooking pic.twitter.com/W3tZkMdsqd
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 24, 2025
The White Sox rookies will be crucial to having a successful second half
The second half for the White Sox will be a better barometer of how the future will go than the first half. The White Sox virtually have most of their new core together for the first time, and they’ll all be getting a long look in the second half to see what they can bring for next season.
Teel and Montgomery are already showing glimpses of what they could do in a full season, with Montgomery hitting .275/.351/.471 with an OPS of .822 in 16 games, while Teel is hitting .277/.390/.373 for an OPS of .763 in 28 games. Both need to continue this hot streak moving forward if the White Sox are to finish with a better record than the first half.
Jul 19, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel (8) arrives safely at second base with a double as Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa (7) applies a late tag during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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