The Winston-Salem Dash swept their way through the South Atlantic League playoffs to capture their first championship since joining the league in 2021.
For the first time since joining the South Atlantic League in 2021, the Winston-Salem Dash, the High-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, are champions.
The 2026 season marked the team's first playoff appearance since 2018. Following five consecutive losing seasons, the Dash finished the regular season with a 73-58 record and punched their ticket to the postseason.
The South Atlantic League playoff format is relatively simple. The league consists of 12 teams, with six in each division. The first-half and second-half champions from each division earn automatic berths in the postseason. If the same team wins both halves, the team with the next-best second-half record earns the division's other playoff spot.
While the Bowling Green Hot Rods dominated the South Division from start to finish in 2026, the Dash were consistently the second-best team of the bunch. That was enough to earn Winston-Salem the final playoff spot up for grabs.
The postseason consists of back-to-back best-of-three series. Despite entering the playoffs with the worst record of the four qualifying teams by a wide margin, the Dash found their stride at the perfect time.
Winston-Salem swept its way through the postseason, earning back-to-back victories over Bowling Green in the division series before winning two straight games against the Greensboro Grasshoppers to secure the championship.
Grant Umberger Leads the Dash to a Title
Tuesday night's championship-clinching game ended in a 2-0 victory for the Dash, led by Grant Umberger, who pitched 7.2 scoreless innings and recorded 11 strikeouts.
Winston-Salem's offense provided all the necessary support through solo home runs from catcher Rylan Galvan and center fielder Nick McLain.
Considering the talent that came through Winston-Salem in 2026, it should come as no surprise that the Dash enjoyed such a successful season.
Top White Sox prospects Caleb Bonemer, Anthony DePino and Colby Shelton anchored the offense earlier in the year.
Bonemer hit 18 home runs in 61 games for the Dash before earning a promotion to Double-A Birmingham.
Catcher Boston Smith, who was traded to the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline, appeared in 48 games for the Dash at the beginning of the season and posted a 1.044 OPS with 14 home runs.
Outfielder James Taussig hit 16 home runs over 51 games with Winston-Salem and posted a 1.027 OPS before earning a promotion to Birmingham as well.
Umberger was the go-to pitcher for the staff throughout most of the season, while outfielder George Wolkow became a mainstay in the Dash lineup and finished the year with 22 home runs and 100 RBIs.
Winston-Salem's Offense Powers Championship Run
Ultimately, offense was Winston-Salem's calling card. The Dash overcame a 4.99 team ERA with an offense that scored the second-most runs in the league and posted a team OPS of .821.
Guillermo Quiroz was reassigned from Winston-Salem to manage the Birmingham Barons during the 2025 season before returning as the Dash's manager in 2026. He has now led Winston-Salem to its first South Atlantic League championship.
The title is another encouraging sign that the White Sox organization is rich with prospects and has another wave of talent making its way toward Chicago.
