The Birmingham Barons wrapped their season the right way, even if the standings kept them out of the Southern League Playoffs. They beat Knoxville twice to finish two games behind Rocket City, but they still closed at 35-34 in the second half. And with Charlotte still the only White Sox full-season affiliate left with work to do, every one of those clubs is on track to end the year above .500 after the break.
Charlotte’s situation is the last unresolved piece. The Knights finish with a six-game set in Norfolk, and the math is straightforward: go 2-4 and they lock up a winning second half. Even 1-5 would still leave them at .500.
Birmingham’s finale had a little extra season-ending edge to it, and manager Pat Leyland was at the center of both of the day’s sharper moments. In the sixth inning, Calvin Harris moved from second to third on Alec Briley’s drive into the gap, and when the outfield throw came in flat-footed, Leyland waved the catcher home.
Alec Briley's teammates are trying to get him the RBI lead 😂. Cal Harris comes in to score from 2nd on a sac fly to RCF.
88 RBI for Briley. Catchers = Speed.
2-0 #Barons. pic.twitter.com/rmz7kEXBet
- FutureSox (@FutureSox) September 13, 2026
Then, one inning later, Leyland was tossed while arguing a sequence that’s become all too familiar. Samuel Zavala had just cracked a three-run homer off Yenrri Rojas, the Barons’ second long ball of the inning, and Jacob Burke stepped in next.
Rojas then came inside and high, knocking Burke to the ground. The umpires talked it over, but after warning both benches, Leyland came storming out of the third-base coaching box and was ejected almost immediately.
He made his point, and his offseason began two innings before everyone else’s.
Birmingham’s 7-0 win included a clean day at the plate for several regulars. Caleb Bonemer finished 2-for-3 with a walk.
Colby Shelton went 2-for-3 with an HBP and a strikeout, though he was also picked off/caught stealing. Ryan Burrowes added a 2-for-4 line with a strikeout, and Zavala went 2-for-3 with a homer and a walk.
On the mound, Connor McCullough was dominant: 5 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 42 of 65 pitches for strikes.
Elsewhere, Winston-Salem took care of Greensboro 15-8. Javier Mogollón went 1-for-4 with a homer and a walk.
Kyle lodise was 1-for-4 with a walk. James Taussig drew two walks in a 1-for-3 night.
Jeral Perez had a sac fly, Nick McLain finished 1-for-3 with a homer, two walks and a strikeout, and Braden Holcomb went 0-for-5.
Max Banks struggled on the mound, allowing 3 hits and 2 runs, 2 earned, in one-third of an inning. He walked one and struck out one, throwing 12 of 21 pitches for strikes.
In Other News...
White Sox Just Took On A Rotation Risk Fans Can't Ignore
The White Sox entered the August 1 trade deadline looking for rotation help and came away with a big-name arm in Luis Castillo, a move that instantly raised the temperature around the front offices plans. Castillo arrived from Seattle with a track record that suggested upside, but Chicago also inherited the kind of contract and recent inconsistency that can make a deadline gamble feel a lot more complicated once the games start.
Since the deal, the right-hander has had a rough stretch in Chicago, and the early returns have only sharpened the questions about whether this was a calculated bet or a costly one. Castillo was already coming off uneven work with the Mariners before the trade, and with $21.6 million still owed in 2027, the White Sox are now tied to a rotation risk that fans will be watching closely for a turnaround. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Face Troubling Front Office Shakeup At A Critical Time
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Chicago now has an important scouting position to fill while it keeps moving ahead with preparations for the 2027 draft. No replacement has been announced, and the timing makes the vacancy especially notable because amateur scouting is one of the areas where a club can least afford disruption, particularly when it is trying to build toward a long-term reset. [Read more 🡒]
Tim Elko Is Giving White Sox Fans A Reason To Watch Charlotte
The White Sox may be finishing their season in the majors, but there is still plenty happening in the system, and Tim Elko has been one of the names worth tracking. Charlotte closed out a series against Buffalo by winning four of five, and Elko was rewarded for a strong offensive stretch by being named the Knights Player of the Week, a reminder that his bat continues to be one of the more interesting developments in the organization.
Elsewhere in the chain, Birmingham wrapped its season by taking four of six from Knoxville, with Samuel Zavala earning Player of the Week honors for his own offensive work. Between Charlottes recent run and the Barons finish, the White Sox have a few minor league hitters giving the organization some late-season traction, even if the next step for each player still has to be earned. [Read more 🡒]