Chicago White Sox rookie Braden Montgomery could not have scripted his first big-league game any better.
The 23-year-old got called up to play in his first MLB contest on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves in front of the home crowd at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill. The baseball gods did not waste any time putting him in a pressure-packed situation.
With the White Sox trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the 10th inning, Montgomery was at the plate with a runner on third, two outs, and the entire stadium’s hopes resting on his shoulders. Montgomery took a first-pitch changeup from closer Raisel Iglesias and wasn’t going to take a second.
The Mississippi native put a charge in an identical 0-1 changeup that ended up in the left-field seats, electrifying the crowd with a walk-off home run.
BRADEN MONTGOMERY HITS A WALK-OFF HOMER IN HIS MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT! pic.twitter.com/ifxPs2t57F
— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2026
The crowd noise was deafening as Montgomery rounded the bases. But the White Sox youngster apparently did not hear it as he entered a state of pure elation following his game-ending blast.
“That was surreal,” Montgomery said after the game. “I couldn’t hear anything. I was told the crowd was pretty loud.”
Crazy what your brain does in moments like this. Here is Braden Montgomery on rounding the bases: “That was surreal. I couldn’t hear anything. I was told the crowd was pretty loud.”
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) June 10, 2026
Montgomery was no one-hit wonder either. He also delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the 4th inning that cut the Braves’ lead to 4-3. Final line: 2-for-5 with a home run and 3 RBIs. He recorded his first hit, first home run, and first walk-off hit all in his taste of MLB action.
In one night, Braden Montgomery made his MLB debut and collected his:
— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2026
– first hit
– first RBI
– first home run
– first walk-off
– first walk-off home run pic.twitter.com/22TxG9k1v0
That’s quite the first impression Montgomery made with the White Sox fan base.
