With the White Sox being the worst team in baseball, there is not much to look forward to as a White Sox fan. However, the one bright side is the farm system, as there have been some great performances this season at each level that can provide a glimmer of hope for the White Sox in a few years.
The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers have been one of the more talented minor league teams in the league this season, as they have had plenty of players that earned a promotion to Winston-Salem. Let’s take a look at who has been doing well for the Cannon Ballers this season.
Seth Keener was the 3rd round pick of the White Sox in last year’s draft. He was a starting pitcher from Wake Forest, one of College Baseball’s best teams. Keener has been fantastic for the Cannon Ballers, starting 14 games, with a record of 4-3.
Keener has a 3.36 ERA in 64.1 innings, which is extremely solid. He has 75 strikeouts in those innings, while walking 32. Opponents are hitting just .202 against him, which highlights his major league arsenal. Keener has pitched well enough to earn a promotion, as he made his debut for the Winston-Salem dash tonight.
Keener didn’t do great, as it was his first start after coming off the injured list and his first start in a new level. Keener will get adjusted to High-A quickly and will finish out the year there. If he has a solid end of the year, he could start next year in AA, with a potential fast track to the major leagues, as he was drafted out of college.
Antonacci was selected in this year’s draft, as he was taken in the 5th round out of Costal Carolina. Antonacci was one of the best hitters in college baseball last season, and he’s carried that momentum into his first professional season, as he is off to a good start.
So far on the season Antonacci is hitting .286 but he has an amazing .462 OBP and a .809 OPS. This is a great slash line to start his career, as he is only going to get more comfortable in the minor leagues as time goes on.
While Antonacci has’t hit a homer yet, he has eight RBIs and three stolen bases. He does have three doubles, so he isn’t just a singles hitter. Look for Antonacci to move quickly through the minor leagues, as he has a productive hitter at every stop he’s been at so far.
