It was a steady and encouraging season for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, who finished 2026 in third place in the Carolina League South with a 71-61 overall record. After going 33-33 and finishing fifth in the first half, the Ballers found another gear, going 38-28 and climbing to second place in the second half.
Kannapolis finished the season with a +80 run differential and went an impressive 14-7 against teams with winning records during the second half. Unfortunately, Kanny shared a division with the Hickory
Crawdads, who went an absurd 48-17 after the break and closed the season on a 15-game winning streak. Had the Ballers played in the Carolina League North, they would have had a much better chance of securing a second-half playoff spot.
Although the Ballers fell short of the postseason, Kannapolis remained an important developmental stop in the White Sox system, with several players earning recognition and promotions along the way.
Top 100 prospect
Billy Carlson, SS
White Sox No. 3 prospect; MLB Pipeline No. 62 overall
Carlson was the only MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospect in the White Sox system to play for Kannapolis this season. Chicago selected the glove-first shortstop with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Carlson started slowly in April, but his bat began to come around in May, when he slashed .293/.425/.379. Unfortunately, a fractured left thumb sidelined him for about seven weeks. He returned in July and showed signs of settling back in, but played only six games in August before a skin infection ultimately ended his season.
Carlson, who turned 20 in July, finished with a .976 fielding percentage at shortstop. His season did not provide as many opportunities for development as the White Sox would have liked, but his defensive ability and improving hit tool remain reasons for optimism.
Top 30 White Sox prospects
Jaden Fauske, OF
White Sox No. 8 prospect
Fauske spent the entire season with Kannapolis and put together an encouraging professional debut. The 19-year-old slashed .250/.388/.360 with a .748 OPS and led the Carolina League with 10 triples. He also demonstrated an advanced understanding of the strike zone. He drew 94 walks in 538 plate appearances, good for an outstanding 17.5% walk rate.
A high school catcher, the White Sox are developing Fauske as an outfielder. He appeared at all three positions, receiving most of his playing time in center field, where he posted a .948 fielding percentage. He was especially reliable in right field, handling all 50 of his chances without an error across 270 innings.
The power has not arrived yet, but Fauske’s age, on-base ability and positional versatility made his first professional season a success.
Javier Mogollón, INF
White Sox No. 12 prospect
Mogollón played well enough at Kannapolis to earn a July promotion to Winston-Salem. Before moving up, he slashed .268/.385/.457 with an .842 OPS.
The infielder also displayed some pop, hitting seven home runs after joining the Dash and finishing the season with 14 overall.
Defensively, he appeared at second base, third base and shortstop. Most of his opportunities came at second, where he posted a .965 fielding percentage. Most importantly, Mogollón held his own following the promotion, giving the White Sox another promising young infielder to watch.
Pierce George, RHP
White Sox No. 19 prospect
Selected by the White Sox in the 13th round of the 2024 draft, George began the season in the Kannapolis bullpen and did not stay long. He posted a 1.32 ERA and 0.59 WHIP across 10 appearances, earning a promotion to Winston-Salem.
George continued to perform well with the Dash, recording a 3.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 15 games. That earned the 23-year-old another promotion, this time to Birmingham in late June. He didn’t replicate that success at Double-A, but advancing three levels in one season was an accomplishment in itself.
Alexander Albertus, INF
White Sox No. 28 prospect
Acquired from the Dodgers in the 2024 Michael Kopech trade, Albertus opened the season in the Arizona Complex League but needed only four games to earn a promotion to Kannapolis.
The 21-year-old slashed .272/.387/.397 with a .784 OPS in 287 at-bats. He controlled the strike zone well, walking in 14.4% of his plate appearances while striking out only 17.9% of the time.
The White Sox also gave Albertus his first professional opportunities at first base. He adapted well, committing only one error in 213 chances. His six home runs do not fit the traditional power profile associated with first base. Still, his plate discipline and ability to play multiple infield positions give him other avenues to provide value.
The 2026 draft class arrives
Braden Holcomb, OF
The White Sox selected Holcomb out of Vanderbilt in the 12th round with the 345th overall pick. The 21-year-old made a strong first impression, slashing .333/.439/.667 with a 1.106 OPS in 13 games before earning a promotion to Winston-Salem on Sept. 3.
There are some swing-and-miss concerns. In a brief 57-plate-appearance sample with Kannapolis, Holcomb walked at an encouraging 14% clip but struck out 26.3% of the time.
Although capable of playing all three outfield positions, Holcomb appeared exclusively in left field for Kannapolis and did not commit an error.
Grayson Fitzwater, 1B
Selected in the 13th round with the 375th overall pick, Fitzwater arrived from Virginia Military Institute as the program’s career leader in several offensive categories, including home runs, total bases and RBIs. The 22-year-old carried that production into his professional debut, slashing .271/.365/.486 with an .851 OPS and four home runs. He also handled first base well, committing only one error for a .996 fielding percentage.
Fitzwater finished the season on an especially strong note, earning Carolina League Player of the Week honors for Aug. 31-Sept. 6. He went 9-for-16 with a home run, a triple, four doubles, six walks and 10 RBIs during the final week.
Fitzwater benefited from a .379 BABIP in 126 plate appearances, so some regression is possible as the sample grows. Still, his power and torrid finish made his professional debut encouraging.
Other notable performers
Efren Teran, INF
The White Sox signed Teran this past spring after Boston released him. The 19-year-old began the season in the ACL and earned a promotion after tearing through the complex league for 13 games.
Teran hit .274/.356/.311 with a .667 OPS for Kannapolis. Although he did not provide much power, he made frequent contact and played reliable defense. At third base, he committed only two errors in 87 chances for a .977 fielding percentage.
Stiven Flores, C/1B
Flores, a Dominican Summer League All-Star in 2023, put together a solid season on both sides of the ball. The 20-year-old slashed .277/.344/.342 with a .690 OPS and consistently put the ball in play. He struck out in only 9.2% of his plate appearances while posting an 8.1% walk rate.
Flores was equally dependable behind the plate. He recorded a .991 fielding percentage with only three passed balls and threw out 30.3% of attempted base stealers. His contact ability and steady defense made him one of Kannapolis’ more reliable players.
Grant Cleavinger, LHP
Cleavinger signed with the White Sox as an undrafted free agent in July following his senior season at Nebraska. He appeared 12 times for the Huskers, striking out nine and holding opponents to a .125 average in 5 1/3 innings.
The southpaw was nearly unhittable after joining Kannapolis. In 15 relief appearances, he went 2-1 with a 2.40 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, three holds and two saves across 15 innings. Opponents hit only .151 against him, and he struck out 33 for an eye-popping 19.80 K/9.
It was a small sample, but striking out more than half the batters he faced is certainly one way to get the organization’s attention.
Marco Barrios, RHP
Barrios opened 2025 in the ACL before finishing the season with 11 innings for Kannapolis. He returned to the Ballers for all of 2026 and emerged as a reliable member of the bullpen.
In 48 appearances, Barrios went 5-5 with a 2.75 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 52 1/3 innings. He also remained remarkably young for the level, turning 20 in May. His combination of age, durability and consistent production made him one of the season’s more intriguing under-the-radar performers.
The Cannon Ballers’ 2026 campaign may not have ended with a playoff run, but it was unquestionably a win in the player-development department. Between the top organizational talent, emerging international signees, fast-rising pitchers and an encouraging first look at members of the 2026 draft class, Kannapolis offered plenty of evidence that the White Sox farm system is, indeed, alive and kicking.
