DJ Gladney was among the many, many, many White Sox prospects who could've used a season with the Great Falls Voyagers in 2021. Instead, he had to make his A-ball debut in his age-19 season after a dormant pandemic season, and he hit .191/.293/.324 with a 42 percent strikeout rate. He had a particularly ghastly August, going 4-for-48 with 34 strikeouts in 55 plate appearances.
This year, he still has the tendency to vacillate wildly from day to day, but the highs are higher, and the lows are less frequent.
Saturday's doubleheader -- or, more accurately, a completion of Friday's suspended game plus a seven-inning Game 2 -- captured both extremes.
In the first game, Gladney notched his second six-RBI game of the season, going 4-for-5 with two homers and two doubles.
One of the blasts was to right field ...
... and the other left the yard to left.
Then in Game 2, Gladney went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Fortunately, the two are washing out at higher levels across the board. He's hitting .253/.330/.453 with 11 extra-base hits and 22 RBIs over his first 24 games, and he's reduced the strikeout rate to 35 percent. That still requires improvement, but he doesn't turn 21 until the All-Star break, so time remains on his side.
Gwinnett 6, Charlotte 1
- Adam Haseley went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Yolbert Sánchez showed that hit tool by going 2-for-4 with a double.
- Yoán Moncada was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Carlos Pérez, 0-for-4 with no strikeouts.
- Micker Adolfo singled and struck out three times.
Birmingham 6, Tennessee 2
- Lenyn Sosa went 2-for-4.
- Jose Rodriguez was 1-for-4 with a double.
- Caleb Freeman: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Kannapolis 11, Down East 10 (Completion of Friday's game)
- James Beard went 0-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts.
- Wes Kath doubled twice, singled once and struck out twice.
- DJ Gladney homered, twice, doubled twice and struck out once. He also drove in six.
- Chase Krogman was 1-for-4 with an HBP.
- Wilfred Veras, 2-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Jared Kelley: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
Down East 2, Kannapolis 1 (Game 2, 7 innings)
- Wes Kath went 1-for-3 with an HBP.
- DJ Gladney wore the collar and silver sombrero.
- Chase Krogman went 0-for-3.
