Colson Montgomery sets MLB single-season strikeout record

Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery set a major-league single-season record Friday, striking out for the 224th time in a season and surpassing the previous mark of 223 held by Mark Reynolds. The record-setting strikeout came in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at home. With a full count against right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, Montgomery watched a fastball cross the plate for strike three, according to game accounts. He had tied Reynolds’s record the previous night during Chicago’s 9-1 win over the Kansas City Royals. That Thursday victory also secured the White Sox a postseason berth, their first since 2021. The team became the first in major-league history to reach the postseason after consecutive 100-loss seasons, according to reports. Chicago was still pursuing the American League Central lead after Friday’s game, sitting one game behind Cleveland with two regular-season games remaining. Montgomery, 24, has paired the record strikeout total with substantial power. He had 31 home runs and 87 runs batted in through Friday, while batting about .199, with a .285 on-base percentage and a .407 slugging percentage, according to reports.