With 285 career wins as manager of the Charlotte Knights from 2012 to 2015, Joel Skinner is the all-time winningest manager in franchise history. In his first season at the helm, Skinner led the 2012 Knights to the Governors' Cup Finals after an impressive 83-win regular season performance -- the second most by the Knights in a season (the team won 86 games in 1993).
RHP Erik Johnson won the most games with the Knights over the last decade - 22. He also racked up a number of awards for one of the most impressive seasons ever in franchise history.
RHP Michael Kopech was promoted to the Charlotte Knights from Double-A Birmingham on Saturday, August 19, 2017. Two days later, the talented 21-year-old made his Triple-A debut with the team and earned his first win after five solid innings at Norfolk, VA. At the time of his promotion from Birmingham, Kopech was the number 12 prospect in Major League Baseball and the number three prospect in Chicago's system as ranked by MLB.com.
RHP Deunte Heath made the most appearances by any Charlotte Knights pitcher during the last decade. Over the course of those 118 appearances, Heath posted a 15-12 record with eight saves and a 3.19 ERA. The native of Atlanta, GA tossed a total of 279 innings and recorded 300 strikeouts over that span.
Nicknamed "Mr. Indiana" for his solid play in college while at Indiana University, Josh Phegley made his way to the Charlotte Knights in 2011 and hit two home runs in 22 games for the team that season. A year later, the Terre Haute, IN native was Charlotte's starting catcher for the first of his three consecutive International League All-Star seasons (2012-2014).
In the midst of a solid season at Double-A Birmingham in 2013, Andy Wilkins was promoted to the Charlotte Knights on June 24, 2013 and quickly shined for the team. At the time of his promotion, he was leading the Barons in home runs (10), average (.288), doubles (16) and RBIs (49). He also ranked among the league-leaders in RBIs (second), on-base percentage (fourth, .386), home runs (tied for fifth), and batting average (tied for eighth) at the time of his promotion.
Before baseball fans in Chicago knew him and loved him as Yolmer Sánchez, fans in Uptown Charlotte already loved the way Carlos Sánchez played during his time with the Knights. Always a smile on his face and always joking around with his teammates, Sánchez quickly became a fan favorite with the Knights after debuting as a 20-year-old in 2012.
On December 13, 2013, Matt Davidson was traded to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for RHP Addison Reed . From there, Davidson went on to spend nearly three seasons with the Charlotte Knights (2014-16) and can be considered one of the best power hitters in franchise history. He mashed 43 home runs over a two-year stretch (2014-15) -- leading the International League in homers in 2015 with 23.
Tyler Saladino first put on a Charlotte Knights jersey as a 22-year-old in 2012 when the team called Knights Stadium in Fort Mill, SC home. After just 15 games with the Knights that year, he returned to Double-A Birmingham to finish the rest of the season. He spent one more year with the Barons in 2013 before becoming a staple in Charlotte's lineup in 2014 when the team ushered in a new era of professional baseball in Uptown Charlotte at BB&T Ballpark.
Jordan Danks first appeared as a member of the Charlotte Knights at the start of the last decade (2010). In five seasons with the team (2010-14), the talented outfielder set a majority of the team’s all-time records. For his efforts as one of the best Knights of all-time -- and as the all-time hits king in franchise history -- Danks is the first of three outfielders selected for the All-Decade Team (2010-19).
Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 29th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Texas Christian University (TCU), Jason Coats made his way to Uptown Charlotte in 2015 after a solid 2014 season in Winston-Salem and in Birmingham.
In 2010, Dayan Viciedo made his way to Triple-A and appeared in 86 games with the Charlotte Knights. At the age of 21, Viciedo quickly produced with the Knights. The talented prospect compiled a .274 batting average with 94 hits, 42 runs scored, 15 doubles, 20 home runs and 47 RBIs in just 86 games. He made his major league debut that season with the Chicago White Sox, but was back with the Knights a year later.
Danny Mendick was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 22nd round of the 2015 MLB June Amateur Draft out of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. The hard-working middle infielder made his way through the system and found himself in Uptown Charlotte in 2016 as a 22-year-old. Receiving his first taste of Triple-A Baseball, he appeared in two games with the Knights and had two at-bats in 2016. He enjoyed the experience and looked forward to the chance to be back in the Queen City one day.
Dan Johnson was already a household name when he signed with the Chicago White Sox in 2012. As a rookie in 2005, Johnson hit .275 (103-for-375) with 54 runs scored, 21 doubles, 15 home runs and 58 RBIs with the Oakland A’s in 109 games. In parts of four seasons with the A’s (2005-08), Johnson compiled 42 home runs and 157 RBIs. He was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 and went on to have a tremendous season with the Durham Bulls. He hit .307 with 25 home runs and 83 RBIs in 113 games. Later that season, he hit a big home run for the Rays as a pinch-hitter in a game against the Red Sox on September 9.