Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Are Stacked With Rising White Sox Talent
While we wait for the White Sox to turn it on, fans will look to the minor leagues to gain some confidence that the White Sox will be competitive in the coming years. Luckily, the Charlotte Knights have been one of the best teams in AAA, as they just swept the Tampa Bay Rays AAA affiliate behind some solid performances by the White Sox top prospects.
However, the Knights aren’t the only White Sox minor league team that will be fun to watch this season, as the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers will feature some of the White Sox most promising young players, specifically from their most recent draft class.
According to Elijah Evans of Future Sox and Just Baseball, Billy Carlson and Jaden Fauske, the White Sox first two picks in last year’s draft, will open the season with Kannapolis. This will be a very exciting duo to follow throughout the season, as they could be part of the next exciting young core of the White Sox.
Jaden Fauske will join Billy Carlson in Single-A Kannapolis to open the year.
The top two picks from the White Sox 2025 Draft Class will be joined by a variety of recent college draft picks and others @FutureSox
— Elijah Evans (@ElijahEv8) March 24, 2026
While Billy Carlson has yet to appear in a statically recorded professional game, he was viewed as one of the best prep defensive shortstops of all time coming into the draft and had a very solid senior season at Corona High School.
According to Bleacher Report and Joel Reuter, Carlson hit .365 with an outstanding .517 OBP. He added 6 homeruns, 34 RBI, and 9 stolen bases. This is a very solid season for Carlson, as scouts believe he could add more power as he advances throughout the minor leagues.
Fauske was also a highly regarded player, as many outlets thought he could be a first round pick. Plus, he was a local kid, so you are always rooting for them to rep their hometown team.
While the rosters aren’t official yet, they could potentially be joined by 2024 third round pick Blake Larson, who happened to miss last season due to Tommy John surgery. However, prior to that, Larson was an exciting prep arm who signed as an over-slot player. While there is a chance that he doesn’t start with the team due to working his way back from surgery, it is likely that he joins the team in the first few months of the season.
There could be a few other intriguing players on the Cannon Ballers’ roster this season, as we will officially find that out in the coming days, as they open their season this week. Regardless, they will be a team to follow due to having some of the White Sox most young and exciting players on their roster.