Charlotte Knights Reveal Five-Man Opening Day Rotation for Triple-A Debut

Writing now.

Charlotte Knights manager Chad Pinder named Hagen Smith to start the club's Triple-A season opener on Friday at Truist Field, unveiling a five-man rotation built almost entirely for the purpose of not staying together.

Smith draws the ball first, followed in order by Duncan Davitt, Tanner McDougal, Noah Schultz, and Jonathan Cannon. FutureSox reporter Jeff Cohen shared the lineup details after Pinder revealed the rotation ahead of the Knights' Opening Night against the Durham Bulls.

The construction of that group tells you everything about where the Chicago White Sox organization stands right now. Three of the five arms, Smith, Schultz, and McDougal, are considered legitimate big-league prospects who could receive a call to the South Side at virtually any point this season. Tanner McDougal, Noah Schultz, and Hagen Smith will all start in Triple-A, but are all knocking on the major league door. That is not a rotation built for consistency in Charlotte; it is a pipeline with a rotation wrapped around it.

Top prospects Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, and Tanner McDougal are expected to contribute to the big league rotation sooner rather than later. The parent club's Opening Day rotation in Milwaukee Thursday, featuring Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin, and Erick Fedde, was constructed specifically to hold the fort while those prospects develop their final polish at the Triple-A level. The rotation to start the year is Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin, and Erick Fedde.

The injury picture sharpened the urgency around the Knights' depth even further. Pitchers Prelander Berroa, Drew Thorpe, and Mike Vasil were all placed on the 15-day IL, each affected by Tommy John surgery. That trio represents three potential rotation contributors wiped from the organizational depth chart before Opening Day. Drew Thorpe and Ky Bush remain future options once they complete their recoveries, but neither will factor into the early rotation picture.

Beyond the top three prospects, Duncan Davitt slots second in the Charlotte rotation and is also mentioned as a potential future contributor at the MLB level. David Sandlin rounds out the organizational arms capable of stepping into a rotation role as the season progresses.

Much like last season, the White Sox will be a different team later this year. In 2025, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, and Kyle Teel made their major league debuts as the season progressed. It's fair to assume a similar development will happen this season, but with the pitching rotation.

Opening Knight at Truist Field carries a first pitch time of 7:04 p.m. on Friday, March 27. Smith will take the mound for a Charlotte staff that, by design, is more of a countdown clock than a finished product.