As we close in on the first month of minor league baseball, the White Sox farm system has looked very good so far. The White Sox top prospects are all putting in good performances to start the year, and some of the lesser known players are starting to make a name for themselves.
This is a good sign for the White Sox, as the farm system will likely be ranked in the top-10 in the next update, which may or may not include their future number one selection, who will likely be considered a top-10 prospect in baseball.
With that, we will check on each minor league affiliate to see which players are off to a good start in the 2026 season. Here, we take a look at the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, the Low-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
Pierce George
The first player we will take a look at is Pierce George, a relief pitcher. The White Sox selected George in the 13th round of the 2024 draft out of Alabama. So far on the season, George has been one of the best Cannon Ballers’ relievers.
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After a rough season last year, where he pitched to a 6.42 ERA over 47 innings, George has bounced back in a big way.
Pierce George pitched a perfect hitless & scoreless 9th and 10th to get his first W on the year. He is 1-0. #Ballers pic.twitter.com/KnnhP6JODg
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) April 18, 2026
So far, in 11 innings, George has a 1.54 ERA, striking out 15 batters while only walking three. He also has a .128 batting average against and an elite .69 WHIP. This is fantastic progress from George, as he has significantly cut down on his walks, as he walked 8.5 batters per nine innings last season. This shows progress, and I would imagine that he is in line for a promotion to Winston-Salem soon.
Billy Carlson
The next player off to a good start so far is Billy Carlson. Carlson was the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Corona High School in California. Throughout the draft process, Carlson was widely considered to be the best defensive shortstop and one of the best defensive prep shortstops in a very long time.
Multi-hit game for Billy Carlson through his 2nd AB. #Ballers pic.twitter.com/wPO90bKkHq
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) April 23, 2026
So far in his minor League debut, in 82 at-bats , Carlson is hitting a solid .232 with a good .357 OBP and a .674 OPS. He’s added five doubles, one triple, three stolen bases, and six RBls. Additionally, he’s walked 15 times while striking out 23 times. For his first taste of professional baseball, this is a solid ratio.
Jaden Fauske
The last player we will take a look at is Jaden Fauske. Fauske was the White Sox second round pick in last year’s draft out of Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park.
Jaden Fauske lines a double down the LF line to lead off the B6. Fauske has been on base 4 times tonight. #Ballers pic.twitter.com/odNFmW5Abc
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) April 5, 2026
So far in 19 games (71 at-bats), Fauske is hitting .268 with a very good .416 OBP. He’s added four doubles, three triples, five stolen bases, and six RBIs. He’s also walked 17 times compared to 28 strikeouts. For his first taste of professional baseball, these are pretty good numbers.
This is a very good start for Fauske and Carlson, who both will likely make their way to Winston-Salem by the end of the summer. So far, the 2025 draft class is looking like they will produce multiple big leaguers, which is all you can ask for at the end of the day.
