Colson Montgomery Sets MLB Single-Season Strikeout Record With 224

White Sox infielder Colson Montgomery struck out for the 224th time this season on Friday, breaking the previous MLB record held by Mark Reynolds.

Chicago White Sox infielder Colson Montgomery set a new MLB single-season record by recording his 224th strikeout on Friday. During his 631st plate appearance of the year, the 24-year-old took a called third strike on a full-count fastball from Colorado Rockies pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano. This performance surpasses the previous mark of 223 strikeouts established by Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Mark Reynolds in 2009.

Montgomery reached this total in 561 at-bats during his second professional season. He currently maintains a 35.5% strikeout rate, which ranks as the second-highest among qualified hitters, trailing only teammate Munetaka Murakami at 35.6%. Despite the high volume of strikeouts, Montgomery has produced 31 home runs and 87 RBIs for a Chicago team currently in playoff contention.

The record-setting moment follows a significant slump for the infielder. Over his last 21 games, Montgomery has batted .085 with 37 strikeouts in 83 plate appearances. This recent stretch, which includes six hits and eight walks, has lowered his season batting average to .199. By comparison, Reynolds hit 44 home runs during his record-setting 2009 campaign, while Montgomery’s chase and strikeout rates have increased relative to his rookie season.