The Birmingham Barons enter the 2026 season attempting to win a third consecutive Southern League title, which is great. A handful of players enter the season as candidates for a third championship ring, which isn't as exciting. Some of these players just happened to be blocked at the start of the season, but others have plateaued.
Winston-Salem, whose roster we will be previewing Sunday, has a greater stock of precocious talent, so there will be some heat from below if some specific Dash players hit the ground hitting.
For those who are considering a trip to Birmingham, the Barons announced a month ago that they'll be playing Pensacola at Rickwood Field on Wednesday, May 27. The field is worth seeing if you haven't checked it out, especially since the major league game two years ago.
Coaching staff
- Manager: Pat Leyland
- Pitching coach: John Kovalik
- Hitting coach: Aaron Hill
- Bench coach: Daniel Milwee
Leyland continues his climb after spending last year in Winston-Salem, while Kovalik and Milwee return. Hill -- not the Hill you're thinking of, but this one -- is a late addition. A different Aaron (Bray) was supposed to be Birmingham's hitting coach, but he moved up to Charlotte after Cam Seitzer, who was originally listed on the Triple-A staff, left baseball.
Starting pitchers
The rotation is the strength of Charlotte's roster, so it stands to reason that it might also be the strength of Birmingham's, since it would imply that qualified starters might be on the wrong side of the bubble. That certainly applies to Gowens, whose next regular season start with the Barons will be his 40th, and while Murphy has only appeared in 20 games for Birmingham, he posted a 1.38 ERA while doing so.
The other pitchers have more to prove at Double-A. Oppor will be making his Barons debut and a greater case for top-100 consideration after an ascendant season with Kannapolis and Winston-Salem in 2024, while Gordon threw an encouraging 25⅔ innings with Birmingham when including his relief work in the playoffs, which capped off a productive season around a minor back issue. McCullough successfully navigated a midseason return from Tommy John surgery last year. He threw 113 innings for Kannapolis and Winston-Salem in 2023, so something similar is probably the goal.
Relief pitchers
- Nick Altermatt
- Jake Bockenstedt
- Jacob Heatherly
- Jairo Iriarte
- Jackson Kelley
- Jared Kelley
- Mark McLaughlin
- Jake Palisch
- Jarold Rosado
- Chase Watkins
New to the organization are Heatherly (last seen in Cincinnati's organization), Jackson Kelley (Texas) and Watkins (Cubs). Heatherly is the most interesting, but not necessarily for the right reasons, as he walked 52 batters over 41⅓ innings last year. Otherwise, true to the nature of Double-A bullpens, the names that are most familiar are for dispiriting reasons. Palisch is an exception, because he threw 105 innings of 2.14 ERA ball with Birmingham around a surprising major league cup of coffee. In fact, he still hasn't seen Charlotte. Altermatt is 26, and little about his origins or raw ingredients portend future greatness, but he ran a 2.05 ERA in 44 A-ball relief innings last year, with 52 strikeouts against five walks. He issued two free passes in the season opener.
Catchers
Harris was in the Opening Day lineup behind the plate, and it makes sense to give him the most reps possible before he embarks on a world tour starting in India on April 17. Corona and Gonzalez have been fill-in catchers for the organization, and this is the closest thing they've had to a steady role. Corona hit .170 last year over 121 plate appearances, Corona .116 over 76 PAs. It's the void left by Adam Hackenberg, who was released this spring after 363 games with the White Sox over the last five seasons.
Infielders
Perez is the one guy whose assignment reflects upward trajectory. He hit .244/.315/.448 with 22 homers and 48 total extra-base hits over 125 games with Winston-Salem last year, and now his brand of happy, pull-oriented hacking will be tested in a tougher environment for hitters.
Galanie had a decent 2025, most of which was spent with Birmingham, but it ended quietly after a late-season facial injury, and he struggled during the Arizona Fall League. Nishida posted a .403 OBP with the Barons over 115 games last year, but there was only room for one short on-base king on the Charlotte roster, and they chose Mario Camilletti.
Sprinkle stole 80 bases in 100 games last year, most of them coming in the A-ball ranks as a 24-year-old. Weber is 28 and gives the roster a true shortstop until one of the options at Winston-Salem earns a promotion. Drake Logan is also in the mix, but is starting the season on the 7-day injured list.
Outfielders
Montgomery enters 2026 as one of the most divisive top prospects, and a return to Birmingham after a largely successful 34-game sample in 2025 is a nod to the contact issues he'll aim to patch up. A resounding homer on Opening Day is what the White Sox hope it'll look like.
After two full seasons in Winston-Salem, Zavala finally gets a look at Birmingham, and it'll be as a polished center fielder with gap power. Connor will be looking to build upon a surprise showing in the AFL. If he can, there's an OBP-oriented platoon bat possibility there. Veras is approaching 300 games with the Barons because his production has slid the wrong way each season.
Fogel is new to the organization from indy ball, and his B-Ref page baffles. He spent five seasons playing college ball in Hawaii before transferring to Kentucky for his final year. He went undrafted, sat out all of 2023, then reemerged with Missoula of the Pioneer League where he hit 69 homers over 168 the last two years. He's listed at 6-5 and 220 pounds, and has an appropriately sized place in Paddleheads lore.
