Charlotte KnightsRecord 2-4 (last week), 9-11 (first half), 9-11 (overall)

Knights Players of the WeekShane Smith 5 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 5 K

Korey Lee .100/.143/.200, 20 at-batsCaden Connor .308/.471/.308, 13 at-batsMichael Turner .364/.364/.818, 11 at-batsRikuu Nishida .182/.308/.455, 11 at-bats (promoted from Birmingham on April 17)Jacob Gonzalez .208/.259/.333, 24 at-batsJarred Kelenic .263/.417/.526, 19 at-batsWilliam Bergolla Jr. Did not play (7-day IL from shin bruise)

Tanner McDougal 4 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 KTyler Schweitzer 5 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 KDoug Nikhazy 4 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 KHagen Smith 4 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 5 K

The Knights took a step back, dropping the first four against Jacksonville (11-10) before salvaging the series by winning the last two games.

Starting pitcher Shane Smith, 26, provided an excellent start, delivering five shutout innings and allowing only one hit. It is surprising to see Smith in this article, as most of the South Side Sox staff (including me) predicted that Smith would be the most valuable White Sox pitcher this season. However, Smith’s first three MLB starts of the season did not go smoothly (10.80 ERA, 5.64 FIP), so he is working through struggles in Charlotte. This start was certainly a positive development, as the Jumbo Shrimp did not stand a chance against Smith. Smith’s five shutout innings played a large role in breaking Charlotte’s losing streak, as the Knights went on to win by a score of 2-0 on Saturday.

Smith had a breakout season in 2025, as the former Rule 5 pick was named to the American League All-Star team, posting a 3.81 ERA and 2.2 fWAR. The beginning of the 2026 season did not go as Smith would have hoped, but if he builds on the momentum from Saturday, he will not be in Charlotte for long.

2026 Charlotte Knights Players of the WeekKorey Lee & Oliver Dunn (April 6-12)Shane Smith (April 13-19)

Birmingham BaronsRecord 3-3 (last week), 6-9 (first half), 6-9 (overall)

Barons Player of the WeekBraden Montgomery .600/.640/1.200, 20 at-bats

Rikuu Nishida .333/.571/.444, nine at-bats, 3-for-3 stolen bases (promoted to Charlotte on April 17)Samuel Zavala .217/.308/.478, 23 at-batsAlec Makarewicz .400/.445/1.000, 10 at-batsCalvin Harris .333/.333/.400, 15 at-batsWilfred Veras .136/.160/.182, 2-for-2 stolen bases, 22 at-batsJeral Perez .050/.095/.200, 20 at-bats

Shane Murphy 6 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 5 H, 3 BB, 5 KJake Palisch 4 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 KJackson Kelley 4 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 KJairo Iriarte 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 KMark McLaughlin 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 0 K

The Barons recovered from a 1-5 week by splitting their road series against Rocket City (7-8).

How about Braden Montgomery? The talented outfielder turned 23 on Thursday, and he had an outstanding week, posting an off-the-charts 1.840 OPS. Montgomery, who primarily plays center, went 12-for-20 with a homer, five doubles, two triples, four walks, seven RBIs, and a stolen base, was firing on all cylinders. Montgomery is the top White Sox prospect according to us and to MLB Pipeline, and he showed why this week. Without Montgomery’s contributions, this would have been an entirely different series. On a side note, Garrett Crochet had a nightmarish start this week, allowing 11 runs (10 earned) in 1 2/3 innings. Montgomery was part of the return from Boston in that trade, so this was a terrific week for that trade’s results.

2026 Birmingham Barons Player of the WeekSamuel Zavala (April 6-12)Braden Montgomery (April 13-19)

Winston-Salem DashRecord 5-1 (last week), 10-5 (first half), 10-5 (overall)

Dash Player of the WeekColby Shelton .478/.571/1.043, 2-for-2 stolen bases, 23 at-bats

Caleb Bonemer .211/.375/.632, 19 at-batsAnthony DePino .364/.500/.727, 22 at-batsKyle Lodise .308/.625/.538, 3-for-4 stolen bases, 13 at-batsRyan Burrowes .261/.370/.348, 3-for-3 stolen bases, 23 at-bats

Justin Sinibaldi 3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 KDylan Cumming 6 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 8 KGrant Umberger 4 IP, 8 ER, 12 H, 1 BB, 3 KJake Curtis 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 9 KGabe Davis 6 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 5 H, 3 BB, 3 KDrew McDaniel 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 BB, 2 K

The Dash had a terrific week, taking five out of six against Asheville (4-11) to climb to first place in the South Division.