Here's a look back at the players who stood out in 2027, both on the mound and at the plate, each month in the Queen City.
March (Hitter Willliam Bergolla Jr. & Pitcher Noah Schultz)
The 2026 baseball season opened with a short weekend in March, playing only four games, but even in a few games, a couple of Knights stood out. On the hitting side of things, infielder William Bergolla Jr. really shined in those four games; he hit .563 (9-16) with three doubles, three runs scored, two stolen bases, three walks and five RBI. He opened the season with a four-hit performance on Opening Day, including his pair of doubles.
Pitching-wise, left-handed pitcher Noah Schultz made his season debut in relief in the first game, pitching four hitless innings, allowing one walk, striking out five batters, and earning the win for the Knights.
April (Hitter Rikuu Nishida & Pitcher Hagen Smith)
Charlotte got things rolling in April with 14 players getting called up to the big leagues during the month. While players moved up to the Majors, the month's standout hitter made his Triple-A debut on his way to becoming a season-long fan favorite for the Knights: infielder/outfielder Rikuu Nishida. In the month, he played in 13 games, hitting .347 (17-49) with 12 runs scored and five stolen bases, while showing off his arm by gunning out runners from right field.
The standout pitcher of the month was left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith, who earned organization honors as the White Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Month. He made five starts, but due to pitch count limits, he never went far enough to be eligible for a win; he went 0-2 for the month with a 2.20 ERA in 16.1 innings while striking out 25 batters. His best outing came in Jacksonville on 4/16, when he threw four scoreless innings, giving up one hit and two walks and striking out five.
May (Hitter Jacob Gonzalez & Chris Murphy)
Infielder Jacob Gonzalez had a breakout season that began in April but skyrocketed in May, hitting .344 (33-96) with 11 home runs, eight doubles, 21 runs scored, 15 walks and 36 RBI while recording a hit in 19 of the 24 games he played. On 5/16, he really went off at the plate with two home runs against Norfolk, adding five RBI to his name. Gonzalez was named the White Sox Minor League Hitter of the Month after such a sensational display at the plate.
While Gonzalez launched fireworks at the plate, left-handed pitcher Chris Murphy turned out the lights on opposing batters. In May, he made 10 relief appearances, eight scoreless, posting a 2-1 record and a 2.03 ERA in 13.1 innings while striking out 13 batters. His best outing came on 5/22 at Gwinnett, where he earned the win after throwing two scoreless, hitless innings of relief against the Stripers.
June (Hitter Dustin Harris & Pitcher Jairo Iriarte)
Outfielder Dustin Harris made the most of summer, heating up and hitting .400 (34-85) with 20 runs scored, four home runs, five doubles, a triple, 10 walks and 17 RBI in June. His best performance came on 6/30, wrapping up the month with a 3-4 performance with a double, a homer and two runs scored at Memphis.
On the mound, right-handed pitcher Jairo Iriarte became the last Knight to win a monthly organizational honor as White Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Month for his June performances. He made eight appearances, with the final seven scoreless; he went 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA across 14.1 innings pitched and 15 strikeouts. His best outing came at Durham on 6/6, where he pitched 2.1 perfect relief innings while punching out four Bulls.
July (Hitter Ryan Galanie & Pitcher Zach Franklin)
At the plate, infielder Ryan Galanie was one of the Knights' most consistent players all season, and he really went off in July, hitting .329 (28-85) with six doubles, six home runs, 15 runs scored and 21 RBI. Galanie had an 11-game hitting streak in the month and reached base in 18 of 20 games played. His best performance was on 7/29 at Nashville, where he went 2-5 with a home run, two runs scored and four RBI.
Working in relief, right-handed pitcher Zach Franklin had a solid July, making six appearances and posting a 2.38 ERA with no decisions and two saves across 11.1 innings of work and 14 strikeouts. Franklin made saves in both opportunities in his final two outings of the month. His best outing came on 7/26, when he earned a two-inning save, giving up zero hits and one walk while striking out five Norfolk batters.
August (Hitter Andy Weber & Pitcher David Sandlin)
Infielder Andy Weber hit .282 (22-78) with 16 runs, six doubles, one triple, four home runs, six walks and 14 RBI. His best outing in August was at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on 8/22, when he went 2-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI.
Right-handed pitcher David Sandlin was a lights-out starter all season for Charlotte, and August was when he worked deep into games, going 2-0 in three starts with a 2.00 ERA across 18 innings of work with 19 strikeouts. His best outing of the month came on 8/29 in game two of a doubleheader, where he threw a complete-game shutout, giving up two hits and one walk in seven innings while striking out nine batters in the win.
September (Hitter Tim Elko & Pitcher Jaden Woods)
After working his way back from a torn ACL in October of last year, infielder Tim Elko found his groove again at the plate for the Knights. He hit .341 (14-41) with two home runs, a triple, two doubles, seven RBI and two walks in 11 games in the month. He shined in the final home game at Truist Field, going 3-4 with three RBI and finishing just a home run shy of the cycle in the team’s massive win over Buffalo.
Out of the bullpen in the last month of the season, left-handed pitcher Jaden Woods stood out, appearing in five games and going 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in 6.2 innings, allowing only four hits while punching out seven opposing batters. In four of his five appearances, he held the opposition scoreless, proving a real weapon in relief.