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SAL1 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Pitching Prospect Adams, Olympian Alvarez Headline 2015 Roster

April 9, 2015 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (April 9, 2015) - The Chicago White Sox have assigned 25 players to the active roster of the Class A Kannapolis Intimidators and manager Tommy Thompson to open the 2015 season. Thompson, who will serve as the team's skipper for the third time in the last five seasons, has a roster featuring a talented stable of young pitchers headlined by a top White Sox prospect RHP Spencer Adams ( Baseball America #3/MLB.com #4). Adams, named Baseball America's Best Athlete in the White Sox 2014 draft class, is one of five Intimidators pitchers rated among the organizations top 30 prospects, joining RHP Thad Lowry (17/17), RHP Luis Martinez (20/23), RHP David Trexler (22/24), and Opening Day starter LHP Jordan Guerrero (NA/28).

The 2015 Intimidators Opening Day roster features 11 players who spent time with Kannapolis in 2014, including Olympic speed-skating silver medalist INF Eddy Alvarez, who hit .346 with 11 doubles, five home runs, and 26 RBI in 45 games in his professional debut last year between the Arizona League White Sox and Class A Kannapolis. Alvarez, who took silver as part of Team USA's 5000-meter relay during the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, dazzled at the plate in 18 games with the Intimidators, batting .431 (31-72). He is joined in the infield by a crop of returners, including Christian Stringer, Toby Thomas, and 1B Tyler "T.J." Williams, the son of White Sox Executive Vice President Ken Williams.

While Nolan Earley is the only returner from the 2014 the outfield, former outfielder Jacob Morris converted to a pitcher in the offseason and will hold down a spot in the Intimidators bullpen to open the season. Relievers Brett Bruening and Brad Salgado join starters Guerrero and Lowry - who threw the team's first individual no-hitter in more than a decade in a rain-shortened contest last season - as returns from last year's squad.

Back behind the plate for Kannapolis is Charlotte native Brett Austin, the White Sox fourth round pick in last June's draft and college teammate with the organization's top pick Carlos Rodon. Austin caught 42 games for the Intimidators in his professional debut. He is joined at catcher by Zach Fish, the Sox 11th round pick last June and the Best Power Hitter in his draft class according to Baseball America.

In total, eight players from the White Sox 2014 draft class will open the season with Class A Kannapolis, including Adams (2nd round), Austin (4th), OF Louis Lechich (6th), Fish (11th), Trexler (17th), OF Michael Suiter (24th) - rated by Baseball America as the Fastest Runner in the White Sox draft class, OF Mason Robbins (25th), and INF Ethan Gross (26th).

Intimidators fans will also recognize infielder Chris Curley, who hit a home run in his first at-bat with Kannapolis in 2012 and went on to win Carolina League MVP with the Winston-Salem Dash in 2013 before spending last season with AA Birmingham. Curley joins pitchers Yency Almonte, Devon Davis, Yelmison Peralta, Peter Tago, and Kelvis Valerio in rounding out the 2015 Opening Day roster.

The team reported directly from Spring Training in Glendale, Ariz., to Lakewood, N.J., for the opening series against the Lakewood BlueClaws starting on Thursday, April 9. The home opener for Kannapolis is Thursday, April 16, at 7:05 p.m. against the Hickory Crawdads.

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