Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers are the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, playing in the Carolina League at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The franchise relocated to Kannapolis from Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1995, cycling through identities as the Piedmont Phillies, Piedmont Boll Weevils, and Kannapolis Intimidators before adopting the Cannon Ballers name in October 2019.

The Cannon Ballers name honors the city's heritage as home to Cannon Mills, once the world's largest textile factory, while also nodding to the region's deep connections to auto racing. The team's previous identity as the Intimidators (2001-2019) paid tribute to Kannapolis native Dale Earnhardt, the NASCAR legend who purchased a share of the team before his death in 2001. The White Sox affiliation, which also began in 2001, has endured through every name change and continues to produce future major leaguers.

Atrium Health Ballpark, which opened in 2020 on the former Cannon Mills site in downtown Kannapolis, has transformed the franchise's footprint. The modern facility has become the centerpiece of a mixed-use redevelopment project that has revitalized the city's core, drawing fans from across the Charlotte metro area. The ballpark's impact extends far beyond baseball, catalyzing restaurant, retail, and residential development in its immediate surroundings.

Under new manager Jayson Nix for 2026 — a former seven-year MLB veteran who spent 2024 on the Angels' major league coaching staff — the Cannon Ballers continue to develop White Sox prospects while anchoring one of the most successful ballpark-driven downtown revitalization stories in minor league baseball.