Braden Montgomery, the top prospect for the White Sox, excelled this week for the Barons, earning the Minor League Player of the Week title. The Charlotte Knights struggled with a 2-4 record this week.
Key points
Braden Montgomery named Minor League Player of the Week
Montgomery plays for the Barons
Charlotte Knights record was 2-4 last week
Shane Smith was a standout player for the Knights
William Bergolla Jr. is on the 7-day IL
Mentioned in this story
White Sox
Charlotte KnightsBarons
On fire: Braden Montgomery, the top White Sox prospect, was on top of his game this week for the Barons.
On fire: Braden Montgomery, the top White Sox prospect, was on top of his game this week for the Barons. | David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images
Charlotte Knights Record 2-4 (last week), 9-11 (first half), 9-11 (overall)
Knights Players of the Week Shane Smith 5 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 5 K
Korey Lee .100/.143/.200, 20 at-bats Caden Connor .308/.471/.308, 13 at-bats Michael Turner .364/.364/.818, 11 at-bats Rikuu Nishida .182/.308/.455, 11 at-bats (promoted from Birmingham on April 17) Jacob Gonzalez .208/.259/.333, 24 at-bats Jarred Kelenic .263/.417/.526, 19 at-bats William Bergolla Jr. Did not play (7-day IL from shin bruise)
Tanner McDougal 4 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K Tyler Schweitzer 5 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K Doug Nikhazy 4 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K Hagen 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, Smithâs 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. Smithâs five shutout innings played a large role in breaking Charlotteâs losing streak, as the Knights went on to win by a score of 2-0 on Saturday.
Q&A
Who is Braden Montgomery and why did he win Minor League Player of the Week?
Braden Montgomery is the top prospect for the White Sox, recognized for his outstanding performance with the Barons during the week of April 13-19, 2026.
What was the record of the Charlotte Knights during the week of April 13-19, 2026?
The Charlotte Knights had a record of 2-4 during the week of April 13-19, 2026.
Which players were highlighted for their performance on the Charlotte Knights?
Shane Smith, Korey Lee, Caden Connor, Michael Turner, Rikuu Nishida, Jacob Gonzalez, Jarred Kelenic, and William Bergolla Jr. were noted for their performances.
What is Braden Montgomery's role in the White Sox organization?
Braden Montgomery plays as a prospect in the White Sox organization, specifically noted for his performance in the minor leagues.
Related Articles
Sports·Preview
Top scorers, sleepers and streamers: Fantasy hoops outlooks for every WNBA team
Get ready for the WNBA's 30th season with fantasy insights for all teams!
ESPN News··1 min read
NBA
Draymond on Kerr's future: 'Felt like that was it'
Draymond Green suggests Steve Kerr's time with the Warriors may be over.
ESPN News··1 min read
Sports
What Does Current WAR Tell Us About the Astros Catcher Situation Right Now?
Analyzing the Astros' catcher situation: Yainer Diaz struggles while Christian Vazquez shines.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
NFL
Source: OBJ works out for Giants, takes physical
Odell Beckham Jr. has a workout and physical with the Giants, but no signing is imminent.
ESPN News··1 min read
Sports
Big hits are already piling up in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs
Big hits are a hallmark of the Stanley Cup playoffs, with teams averaging 86.9 hits per game.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
Productive Texas A&M guard enters transfer portal amid waiver wait
Texas A&M guard Marcus Hill explores options after entering transfer portal.
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
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 Week Korey Lee & Oliver Dunn (April 6-12) Shane Smith (April 13-19)
Barons Player of the Week Braden 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-bats Alec Makarewicz .400/.445/1.000, 10 at-bats Calvin Harris .333/.333/.400, 15 at-bats Wilfred Veras .136/.160/.182, 2-for-2 stolen bases, 22 at-bats Jeral Perez .050/.095/.200, 20 at-bats
Shane Murphy 6 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K Jake Palisch 4 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K Jackson Kelley 4 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K Jairo Iriarte 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 K Mark 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 Montgomeryâs 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 tradeâs results.
2026 Birmingham Barons Player of the Week Samuel Zavala (April 6-12) Braden Montgomery (April 13-19)
Justin Sinibaldi 3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K Dylan Cumming 6 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 8 K Grant Umberger 4 IP, 8 ER, 12 H, 1 BB, 3 K Jake Curtis 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 9 K Gabe Davis 6 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 5 H, 3 BB, 3 K Drew 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.
Infielder Colby Shelton, 23, shattered all expectations this week, posting an otherworldly 1.614 OPS. Shelton finished 11-for-23 with three homers, two doubles, a triple, four walks, two stolen bases, and 14 RBIs. The Asheville pitching staff simply did not have any answers for Shelton. The White Sox selected Shelton in the sixth round last year out of the University of Florida. Shelton posted a disappointing slash line (.141/.243/.172, 31 wRC+) with Kannapolis in 27 games in 2025, but 2026 (.429/.509/.755) has been an entirely different story, to say the least. Shelton, who has experience at shortstop, third base, and second base, has been one of the farm systemâs most surprising stories of the month.
2026 Winston-Salem Dash Player of the Week Caleb Bonemer (April 6-12) Colby Shelton (April 13-19)
Cannon Ballers Player of the Week Abraham NĂșñez .421/.476/.684, 19 at-bats
Bryce Eblin .308/.438/.462, 13 at-bats Stiven Flores .273/.333/.364, 11 at-bats Javier MogollĂłn .250/.435/.563, 16 at-bats Billy Carlson .167/.286/.292, 24 at-bats James Taussig .333/.538/.778, nine at-bats Rylan Galvan .200/.333/.600, 15 at-bats
Riley Eikhoff 8 IP, 9 R (6 ER), 11 H, 5 BB, 6 K Caedmon Parker 4 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K Truman Pauley 4 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 5 BB, 5 K Trey Cooper 3 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 5 BB, 5 K Landen Payne 3 1/3 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K Pierce George 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 K
The Cannon Ballers stumbled a bit against Myrtle Beach (9-6), dropping four out of six to fall to seven games under .500.
Outfielder Abraham NĂșñez, 20, was extremely reliable for Kannapolis, going 8-for-19 with a homer, two doubles, and two walks to finish the week with a 1.160 OPS. NĂșñez primarily plays center field, which is one of the most premium positions on the field and generally does not require as much offense for a player to be valuable. As a result, the offense NĂșñez provided was an even larger bonus. NĂșñez opened the season as our No. 83 prospect, but in the early going, his stock is rising quickly.
2026 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Player of the Week Stiven Flores (April 6-12) Abraham NĂșñez (April 13-19)
