Billy Carlson is a Cannon Baller to Keep Eyes On

Billy Carlson of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, Minor League Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox (Instagram @bcarlsonnnn)

The Chicago White Sox are a complete vibe and the most fun team in baseball to watch. They are the ultimate underdog story and the true power of friendship. They’re a fountain of youth and the fountain keeps overflowing with abundant joy. Jacob Gonzalez continues to shine in the absence of Munetaka Murakami, delivering the all-off hit against the Royals yesterday. They also just scored the second most runs in a single game in franchise history. It’s been such a treat.

Another source of anticipation and excitement is their farm system and what’s coming through the pipeline. Under Mike Shirley, the White Sox have targeted athletic shortstops in the first round. The common denominator is an extremely high ceiling and can play multiple premium positions. Will there be more of the same in this year’s draft? We will see. One player taken early in the first round was Billy Carlson, who should be a player that White Sox fans and baseball fans grow to enjoy and follow along for his respective career.

Carlson was drafted right out of high school – Corona Prep High School to be exact. What made him a tantalizing prospect was his defense. He was regarded as the best, pure defender among the prep school class of talent in his draft class. Carlson has an insanely high floor and the ceiling could be even higher when thinking of him as a big league player. 

Defensively, he has a 70/80 grade for arm strength, which has been on full display with Kannapolis this season. He has 19 double plays under his belt and he’s only made three errors. The defense has been spot on, as he makes the hard plays look easy. With fluent footwork and quick decision making, he always finds a way to put himself in position to be successful. It shouldn’t shock anybody that he’s been a good defensive pillar for the Cannon Ballers. 

Billy Carlson’s Defensive Stats 2026 (Baseball Reference)

Now, let’s get to life at the plate. Carlson isn’t going to be the Murakami of this ball club. Fans need to understand that guys who simply can make contact and put the ball into play are just as valuable. I know the game is trending in a different manner, as launch angle, pull air ability, and hard hit rates are king, but good things do happen when you simply put the ball in play. 

When it comes to Carlson, his swing is more of a line drive swing. He has great bat-to-ball skills, with these results: 27% line drive rate, 50% ground ball rate, and 23% fly ball rate. His pull-air ability ranks lower in the percentile range (1st percentile), but his approach as a whole is very ideal to have as a young player. 

He makes contact and puts the ball in play (.370 BABIP), and he gets on base. He ranks in the 74th percentile for walk rate, and is striking out 25.4% of the time. Carlson makes contact inside the zone at a high rate, doesn’t chase outside the zone, and doesn’t whiff. To me, that shows maturity in a young player who knows the zone and can control it. Despite not having a home run yet, he’s making an impact by stealing bases and putting himself in scoring position. That’s massive to see. 

Carlson is a young player and a player that will take some time to rise, but he has the tools to be an effective big leaguer. He’ll be very fun to watch and monitor. Carlson is just one example of this franchise really nailing the draft, and another reason why the White Sox are the team to watch.