Kannapolis Cannon Ballers: 2022 final stats

The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers finished 58-74, good for fourth place of six teams in the Carolina League South, 30 games out of first. That record placed them ninth out of 12 teams in the Carolina League and 24th out of 30 Low-A teams in MiLB. Despite a somewhat hot start in 2022, Kanny finished 26-40, in fifth place and 21 games out, in the first half of the season. With things re-set for the second half, things went much better, with some 2022 draftees arriving to more than offset losses to High-A: 32-34, fourth place, 10 games out. The CBs had a run differential of -61 on the full year.

Here’s a glimpse at the final numbers, including additional notes:

Hitting

• Of 30 total batters, the team averaged 20.9 years of age, ranging from 19 to 26. Wilfred Veras and Wes Kath were the only teenagers to play for the Cannon Ballers this season.
• DJ Gladney played in a team-high 106 games, and was tops with 460 plate appearances, 407 at-bats, 60 runs, four triples and 18 homers, made all the more impressive by the fact that he was promoted to Project Birmingham for the last month of the season. Gladney also had the most strikeouts (150) of anyone on the team.
• Veras led the team in hits (105) and RBIs (67). He edged out Gladney by one, 179-178, in total bases. He also grounded into 14 double plays, tops on the team.
• Kath had more walks (60) than any other Cannon Baller, while Kath and Colby Smelley tied for the team lead in doubles, with 20. Smelley was also hit by pitches a team-high 15 times.
• Wilber Sánchez led Kannapolis in steals (38) and caught stealing (eight), which remains a very impressive 82.6% success rate.
• Colson Montgomery led Kannapolis in batting average (.324), on-base (.424) and slugging (.477) over 205 plate appearances.
• Kannapolis had just six sacrifice bunts all season, led by Johnabiell Laureano’s two. Benyamín Bailey led the club with seven sacrifice flies.
• Veras, Smelley and Brooks Baldwin had one intentional walk apiece in 2022, leading the team.

Pitching

• Kanny pitchers skewed older, with the 49 on the roster averaging 22.9 years of age and ranging from 19 to 26. The only teenagers in Kannapolis this season were Cristian Mena and José Jiménez.
• Let’s illustrate how goofy the win stat is. Noah Owen had a team-high 10 losses in 23 games, with a 5.16 Tyson Messer had just four losses in 28 games, with a 5.22 ERA. The two pitchers led the Kannapolis staff, tied with five wins.
• In 23 appearances, Owen had 15 decisions, which in today’s baseball is pretty wild. He also led the club by giving up 125 hits, 69 runs, 61 earned runs and 20 homers.
• Using 20 innings as a minimum, Dylan Burns had the best ERA at Kanny (1.35). Coupled with how he dominated in the ACL, Burns had himself a terrific 2022.
• Haylen Green led the staff with 33 appearances, one more than Adisyn Coffey. Coffey finished 18 games and had seven saves, however — by far the most on staff.
• Owen (19 starts), Brooks Gosswein and Jared Kelley (both with 18) formed the core of the Cannon Ballers rotation. Owen was the only CBs pitcher to top 100 innings, at 106 ¹⁄₃ .
• A pair of lefties led in the non-contact categories: Gosswein with 45 walks, Tommy Sommer with 87 Ks (in 75 ¹⁄₃ innings, hey there).
• Liam Jenkins hit a team-high eight batters in just 28 innings, so don’t make him angry. He was tied for the team lead in wild pitches with Green (also, eight).
• Kohl Simas had three balks, tops among the 16 total for Kannapolis.
• Best WHIP in 20-plus innings came from Garrett Schoenle, at 0.957.