It's easy to be impressed when the primary frame of reference is the worst major league team of all-time, but the vibrant energy of the Kannapolis dugout stood out even in mid-August. That the roster was undergoing massive turnover due to the influx of 2024 draftees couldn't be clocked by watching them jump on the dugout railing to celebrate every hit, or even bench players celebrating every big out.
The Cannon Ballers were a sub-.500 team in the second half (albeit with a +9 run differential), as the production of older hitters who drove the first half title like Rikuu Nishida and Caden Connor was replaced by teenagers and players coming out of significant layoffs from their collegiate seasons. Ryan Burrowes and George Wolkow have been around most of the year, but largely it's a different group playing a do-or-die elimination game tonight than the team that authored a 41-25 first half.
It's not like the structure of minor league baseball offers much of a choice, but Cannon Ballers manager Pat Leyland feels the first-half success set up an ideal introduction to full-season professional baseball for the young and raw roster he's now overseeing.
"It's a culture thing. The more team success that's had, that becomes the expectation and I think that's a good thing," Leyland said. "What I tell the guys at the beginning of the season is that our job is first and foremost in player development. Develop each player to the best of their ability. Get as much out of each individual player as we can. But what I tell them is we're not just trying to develop players, we're trying to develop winning players.
"I think there's a difference there. When guys buy into team success, that's always a good thing. I tell them that regardless of whether you played in the game or didn't play in the game, we've got to care about what happened when you walk through those doors. I think it's important. And these guys here all year, all different versions of this roster have bought into that."
Charlotte 9, Jacksonville 4
- Yoán Moncada went 2-for-4 with a double, walk and strikeout.
- Tim Elko was 1-for-5 with a homer and two strikeouts.
- Colson Montgomery, 1-for-4.
- Oscar Colás went 2-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Mason Adams: 4 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 45 of 71 pitches for strikes
Tennessee 5, Birmingham 2
- Rikuu Nishida went 0-for-4.
- Wilfred Veras was 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- DJ Gladney, 0-for-3 with a sac fly and a strikeout.
- Tyler Schweitzer: 5 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, 1 HR, 2 WP
Charleston 7, Kannapolis 4
- Sam Antonacci went 2-for-5.
- George Wolkow doubled, singled, walked and struck out twice.
- T.J. McCants struck out thrice during an 0-for-5 night.
- Jeral Perez was 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Ryan Burrowes,. 2-for-4 with two doubles and a strikeout.
- Mason Moore: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 25 of 39 pitches for strikes.
- Pierce George: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP, 13 of 19 pitches for strikes.
