The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers and Winston-Salem Dash played each other in an exhibition game called the Future Sox Showdown at Truist Stadium on Wednesday, and while one shouldn't draw any conclusions from any one-off game that doesn't count, it's certainly convenient for our purposes that Kannapolis won 6-2.
After all, we spent time at the beginning and the end of the Dash preview noting that the position-player side of the equation was a little light, particularly in the outfield, and then George Wolkow goes and knocks one out of the ballpark.
High-ceiling talent defines this roster, at least when it comes to infielders and outfielders, although the college bats should matriculate to Winston-Salem in weeks to balance it out. When it comes to the more precocious players, the question remains whether the level of competition will be forgiving enough to actually hone skills, since this stuff used to be hashed out in the non-complex short-season leagues.
Coaching Staff
- Manager: Chad Pinder
- Pitching coach: Jacob Dorris
- Hitting coach: Charlie Romero
- Bench coach: Darius Day
Pinder is the lone member of the staff who is new to the organization, and the 33-year-old brings utility guy enthusiasm to minor league managing after his playing days wrapped up in 2023. Dorris will get his first full-season assignment after spending his first year in the ACL.
Starting pitchers
After using the fifth-overall pick on Hagen Smith, the White Sox steered clear of college arms in the 2024 draft until it was senior signing time, which is why the season-opening rotation in Kannapolis isn't all that impressive. The two names that jump out aren't for performance-related reasons. Oppor was a highly regarded prep arm out of Wisconsin the Sox signed out of junior college, and Reyes was a headliner in the 2023 international class, but they haven't yet distinguished themselves with their actual pitching. Moore, Sinibaldi, and Pinto were Day 3 picks. The 21-year-old Brizuela has the longest professional track record of the bunch after posting a 3.57 ERA with 69 strikeouts against just 13 walks over 70⅔ innings last year.
Bullpen
- Jonathan Clark
- Pierce George
- Aric McAtee
- Jesus Mendez
- Austin Morris
- Liam Paddack
- Carlton Perkins
- Gabriel Rodriguez
- Blake Shepardson
- Manuel Veloz
- Jack Young
Shepardson and George are the most intriguing, mostly for their reported ability to hit triple digits in relief. Their spotty record of strike-throwing is why they were taken in the 11th and 13th rounds, respectively, and Shepardson hasn't yet pitched in a recorded minor league game. Young, a ninth-round senior signing out of Iowa, will also be making his professional debut as part of a full-season roster.
Catchers
Hernandez is back after hitting .273/.387/.328 over 96 games with Kannapolis last year. He displayed proficiency discerning balls from strikes (62 walks, 59 strikeouts over 411 plate appearances), but he still has to show an ability to hit with some authority (one homer, 16 doubles), so there's unfinished business in Low-A. Harris didn't stick in Winston-Salem, where the fourth-round pick hit .221/.302/.303. Corona is an undrafted free agent who played at Louisiana Tech with 10th-round pick Cole McConnell.
Infielders
Bonemer, last year's second-round pick, didn't appear in a recorded game in his draft year, but he'll open his professional career with a full-season assignment. Mogollón will also make his Kannapolis debut after a wild time stateside in 2024, as the little guy featured big power and a 16-for-16 performance stealing bases while his strikeout rate exploded. Burrowes is the cautionary tale for him, as the intriguing parts of his game in the ACL didn't carry over to the Cannon Ballers last year.
Outfielders
Winston-Salem's delayed payoff is Kannapolis' immediate gratification, as their outfield will feature a first-rounder in Montgomery, a third-rounder in McLain, and a fourth-rounder in Saucke (who will be limited to DH in the early going). All three could be with the Dash sooner than later, and so could Wolkow, who still figures to be the biggest project of the bunch in all senses, but held his own in Low-A as an 18-year-old. A Day 3 pick like Archer doesn't seem to have much of a lane at the onset, but maybe things will open up for guys like him and other to-be-rostered outfielders like T.J. McCants or Abraham Nuñez.
Two-way player
Miller-Green's two-way player status remains intact, so it'll be fun seeing where his name can be found in box scores. While the outfield is stuffed even with Saucke DHing, there doesn't appear to be anybody more prominent requiring the playing time at first base.
White Sox Minor Keys
Norfolk 4, Charlotte 2
- Mike Tauchman went 0-for-2 before being replaced by Oscar Colás, who struck out twice.
- Chase Meidroth was 2-for-4 with a homer and a strikeout.
- Kyle Teel was 0-for-4 with two strikeotus and a stolen base.
- Edgar Quero drew three walks while going 0-for-1, but was picked off.
- Colson Montgomery struck out all three times at bat.
- Tim Elko was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
- Owen White: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 42 of 73 pitches for strikes.
Highlights:
*Meidroth's homer's floated 386 feet at 99.7 mph.
