The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers’ season has had plenty of struggles since the start. In their recent six-game set with the Down East Wood Ducks, they surpassed 30 wins on the year, making them the last of the 12 teams to do so that make up the Low-A East.
The Wood Ducks and Ballers played each other two weeks prior that resulted in a disappointing series loss for Kannapolis. That set consisted of bullpen dismantles late and offensive woes to counter any attack from the Wood Ducks. A key factor of those contests included the revolving roster Kannapolis had throughout the week. Promotions to Winston-Salem and the Arizona Complex League changed the complexion of the roster significantly. With that six-game set two weeks in the rearview mirror, could Kannapolis bounce back and be a potential playoff spoiler for the Wood Ducks?
WEEKLY STATS
Series W-L: 2-4
Season W-L: 32-76, 32 GB of the Down East Wood Ducks
Batting: .201/.279/.321 Slash, 14 R, 37 H, 15 XBH, 14 BB, 75 K, 3 SB
Pitching: 46 IP, 4.11 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, .272 OPP BA, 27 R (21 ER), 47 H, 18 BB, 44 K
While stealing two games from the Wood Ducks, it was yet another disappointing week on the road for the Cannon Ballers. The pitching had an easier time of things compared to their last set, but the offensive woes were prominent, despite flashes of production here and there.
The glaring statistic that stands out, which has been the case for most of the season, is the strikeouts. They averaged 12.5 strikeouts per contest this week, almost accounting for half their outs in a game. They struck out 75 times as a team across six games.
Kannapolis’ two wins came on early in the series. An opening 5-1 win put the team on a high to start behind solid pitching. A Tuesday rain-out led to a Wednesday double dip, with a split of the two games. The Wood Ducks dominated from there on through Sunday, outscoring Kannapolis at a 19-8 clip. A few Cannon Ballers paved the path for their early wins and lead to some decent weeks.
THOMPSON TRIUMPHS AND TUMBLES
FutureSox No. 7 prospect Matt Thompson had a week of mixed fortunes. He was the starter who had his number called twice to open and close the series out. In series-opening 5-1 win on August 31, Thompson threw 4.2 innings of one-run baseball with three hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. The outing had to be a relief for the Houston, Texas native who had a miserable 6.14 ERA in the month of August.
Unfortunately, his second outing would not even touch his first outing of the week. The 2019-draftee would not see the second out of the first inning in Kannapolis’ 8-2 loss on September 5. Thompson recorded a single out while allowing four runs on three hits. Thompson was pulled early largely due to the White Sox’ 30-pitch limit in a single inning.
It’s very frustrating to watch a top-prospect like Thompson, who has all the intangibles and the prowess on the mound, throw a solid outing and struggle during the next. Hopefully he can find a way to miss the bat more consistently to have similar outings to the opener, proving of that high prospect status that follows him.
BULLPEN BOUNCEBACK
After being part of Kannapolis’ downfall in the prior series with the Wood Ducks, the Cannon Baller bullpen had some strong performances. Garvin Alston and Rigo Fernandez threw four or more innings without allowing a run in their two individual outings. Both had been lit up by opposing offenses, but especially Fernandez. The 2018 late-rounder had allowed a run or more in each of his previous six contests. To have two appearances without surrendering a run could propel him back in the direction.
The bullpen piece that his been the most consistent for Kannapolis is Kohl Simas. His lone start this week came in Kannapolis’ 1-0 win to kick off the September 2 doubleheader. The White Sox July signee threw a solid three innings of one-run baseball to close the door in the later innings. Simas has been lights-out since joining Kannapolis in early August. He’s only allowed two unearned runs on three hits with fourteen strikeouts. It’s safe to say that Simas has been the most consistent bullpen arm for manager Guillermo Quiroz.
NEW KIDS ON THE BUMP
Kannapolis added two 2021-draftee pitching prospects to the squad prior to the start of September. Third and fourth round selections Sean Burke and Brooks Gosswein were the call-up and have been integrated into the roster as such.
Burke, a former Maryland product, was brought in with the Jared Kelley injury forcing him to the IL. The massive 6-foot-6, 230 pound prospect had an alright performance against the Wood Ducks. He led off the night cap of the September 2 doubleheader on the mound, going 2.2 innings and allowing two runs. Burke has not made it through three innings in each of his two starts with the club. On the positive side, he has already accrued nine strikeouts across 4.2 innings of work. Its a rather small sample size, but the strikeout rate is encouraging and something to monitor for sure.
While Burke struggled, the southpaw of Gosswein had a clean outing to lead Kannapolis to their doubleheader win. The Bradley attendee pitched four innings and allowed three hits while striking out three Wood Ducks. His promotion coincided with Jesus Valles’ promotion to High-A Winston-Salem. It was a strong start for Gosswein in Kannapolis. Hopefully he can be a bright spot to end the season in September.
OFFENSE?
That’s a good question: who contributed on the offensive side? The Cannon Baller with the most production was James Beard, the centerfielder who was relegated to the bench before a slew of promotions re-opened his role in the outfield. Beard knocked six hits, four of which were extra-base hits, batted in two runs and scored four times. His strongest outing came in Kannapolis’ 6-5 loss on September 3, where he went two-for-five with a solo-home run while scoring twice. While he had the most production, Beard also struck out the most on the team with 12.
While having mixed performances at the dish, it’s been odd to not see Beard have some stolen bases. His speed is blinding and part of the reason he’s considered on the fringe of the White Sox top-30 prospects. To see he has not successfully swiped a bag since August 7 is puzzling, let alone the fact he’s had one stolen base attempt since then. Obviously, getting on base and the situations of the game dictate those calls, but it’s disappointing that it has been almost been abandoned when he’s on the base paths.
As mentioned previously, the offensive production comes in spurts that keep Kannapolis looking to threaten but never capitalizing. AJ Gill and DJ Gladney both knocked home runs this week. Shawn Goosenberg collected three doubles throughout the week as Bryan Ramos had a double and triple on the same night.
LOOKING AHEAD
With the 2021 season winding down, Kannapolis is already looking to 2022 as they settle new prospects into Low-A baseball. The Cannon Ballers return home Atrium Health Ballpark to face the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, looking to claim their first series win since playing the Woodpeckers at the end of July. Look for either Gosswein or Burke to take the mound to start kick-off the series on Tuesday night.
Photo credit: Michael Guariglia/FutureSox
Want to know right away when we publish a new article? Type your email address in the box on the right-side bar (or at the bottom on a mobile device) and click “create subscription.” Our list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Also, consider supporting FutureSox on Patreon! You can get early access to special articles and Patreon-only posts, in addition to more benefits.
Shop our exclusive merchandise! Show your support with FutureSox apparel.