The Dash finished with a subpar record of 56-74, which placed them fifth out of six teams in the South Division of the South Atlantic League, and the worst club (although in a near-tie with Charlotte)
in the White Sox system. Winston-Salem’s run differential was -49, which gave them an expected record of 60-70. Out of 12 teams in the South Atlantic League, the Dash ranked fifth in runs scored (580) but 11th in runs allowed (629).
Overall, it was not a great year for this squad, but there were not many top prospects who got a significant amount of playing time with the Dash. As a result, the below-average record was expected.
Pat Leyland, 33, managed the Dash, and this was his first season with the team. Leyland managed the Cannon Ballers in 2023 and 2024, and during that time, Kannapolis had a 137-125 record. Leyland is the son of Hall-of-Famer Jim Leyland, a former White Sox coach who is well-known for his tenure with the 2006-2013 Tigers.
Outfielder and elite prospect Braden Montgomery, 22, had a nice season, and the majority of it came with the Dash. In 69 games with Winston-Salem, Montgomery posted an excellent slash line of .260/.348/.445 (135 wRC+). Montgomery opened the year with Kannapolis, and he was promoted to Winston-Salem after posting a 149 wRC+ in 18 games. After Montgomery was promoted to Birmingham on July 29 his performance did not lag, and he had a 132 wRC+ in 34 games at the higher level. MLB Pipeline has Montgomery at No. 1 in the White Sox Top 30 rankings and No. 32 among all prospects.
Jeral Perez, 20, made a nice splash for the Dash, posting a .244/.315/.448 (124 wRC+) in 125 games, all with Winston-Salem. In 2024, the young second baseman/shortstop had a 120 wRC+ in 105 games, all in Class A, so he is progressing well. Perez also had some bad luck on balls in play, as his BABIP was only .271. Perez led the Dash in home runs (22), RBIs (70), and hits (117). Perez also stole 10 bases in 13 attempts, so he has a variety of tools. Well done to Perez on his solid season, and he appears ready to make another stride forward. As this season wraps up, Perez is No. 19 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 White Sox prospect rankings.
Among players with at least 300 at-bats with the Dash this season, outfielder Samuel Zavala, 21, was No. 2 in OPS (.732), trailing only Perez. Zavala played 119 games, all with the Dash, and he showed a sizable improvement from 2024, also with the Dash. Zavala boosted his slash line from .187/.340/.301 (97 wRC+) last season to .254/.360/.372 (122 wRC+) in 2025. Zavala also swiped 18 bases in 26 attempts, as his solid speed makes him valuable on the bases and in the field. Zavala plays all outfield positions, but he got the most playing time in center. MLB Pipeline gives him a 55 arm rating and a 50 glove, and he held down the fort nicely in center. Zavala concludes this season at No. 28 in MLB Pipeline’s White Sox prospect rankings.
Infielder Alec Makarewicz, 25, spent most of the season in Winston-Salem, where he was a solid contributor. Most of his playing time was at first base, but he also spent a decent chunk of time at third. In 110 games with the Dash, Makarewicz posted a .228/.301/.390 (105 wRC+) slash line, launching 11 homers and driving in 61. Makarewicz was also efficient on the bases, stealing 10 bases without ever getting caught.
Due to the lack of run prevention, there is not as much to discuss on the pitching side, but there were some bright spots.
After struggling immensely with the Dash in 2024, Tanner McDougal, 22, had a huge year, boosting himself to the No. 7 spot MLB Pipeline’s White Sox prospect rankings. Among pitchers with more than 50 innings for the Dash, McDougal led the way with a 3.28 ERA in 57 2/3 frames, and his FIP (3.53) was not much higher. Incredibly, McDougal was even better during his 55 2/3 innings after being promoted to the Barons, posting a 3.23 ERA and a 2.76 FIP.
In terms of ERA among Dash pitchers with at least 50 innings, McDougal finished with a paper-thin lead over Christian Oppor, 21, who posted a 3.31 ERA and a 4.05 FIP in 65 1/3 innings. Oppor generated a lot of whiffs, averaging 11.3 strikeouts per nine. Oppor is right behind McDougal in MLB Pipeline’s White Sox prospect rankings, wrapping up the season at No. 8.
Next on that ERA leaderboard was reliever Phil Fox, 22, who pitched 59 2/3 innings across 44 relief appearances. During those innings, Fox delivered a 3.47 ERA and a 2.86 FIP.
Frankeli Arias, 22, pitched 88 2/3 innings, which was second-most on the team. All of his innings were with the Dash, finishing with a 3.76 ERA and a 4.43 FIP.
Lucas Gordon, 23, was a solid contributor to the starting rotation, posting a 3.96 ERA and a 4.16 FIP in 86 1/3 innings. After spending most of the season in Winston-Salem, Gordon was promoted to Birmingham, where he was even better (2.11 ERA, 2.06 FIP in 21 1/3 frames).
Jake Bockenstedt, 25, pitched 103 innings for the Dash to lead the team. Bockenstedt’s numbers were a mixed bag, as he finished with a 4.81 ERA, but his FIP (3.87) was much better. Bockenstedt only allowed eight home runs (0.70 per nine), which went a long way in terms of limiting damage.
