Pitcher Jonathan Cannon Refines Sinker Grip for 2026 Season

Cannon's sinker adjustment aims to boost effectiveness of his main pitch after a difficult 2025 campaign.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Jonathan Cannon, a right-handed pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, made a significant change to his sinker grip midway through the 2025 season in an effort to reverse hitters' growing success against him. After struggling with a pitch that was being hit consistently, Cannon switched from a one-seam grip to a more traditional sinker grip, positioning his index and middle fingers between two seams, a method that had worked well for him during his time playing at the University of Georgia. This adjustment aims to enhance the effectiveness of his main pitch as he heads into the 2026 season.

Why it matters

Cannon's 2025 campaign was marked by inconsistency, culminating in a 5.82 ERA over 103⅔ innings pitched. Despite his impressive stature, hitters found success against him, prompting his demotion to Triple-A in August. The mental toll of bouncing between major and minor leagues was substantial for the young pitcher, but he recognized the importance of this challenging period in his growth.

The details

Cannon's previous sinker was breaking too soon after release, allowing batters to better track and connect with the pitch. His current goal is to produce more late, sharper movement on the sinker to disrupt hitters' timing and make the pitch harder to predict. White Sox manager Will Venable has highlighted the necessity for Cannon to find creative solutions to retire left-handed hitters, who had a higher batting average against him last season compared to right-handed batters.

  • Cannon made the sinker grip adjustment midway through the 2025 season.
  • Cannon was demoted to Triple-A in August 2025 after struggling with a 5.82 ERA over 103⅔ innings pitched.
  • Cannon returned to the majors in September 2025, but with limited success.

The players

Jonathan Cannon

A 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher for the Chicago White Sox who made a significant change to his sinker grip midway through the 2025 season in an effort to reverse hitters' growing success against him.

Korey Lee

A White Sox catcher who spent time in Triple-A last season and has noticed a marked maturity in Cannon during spring training.

Will Venable

The White Sox manager who has highlighted the necessity for Cannon to find creative solutions to retire left-handed hitters.

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What they’re saying

“Just kind of hit the fire drill too soon, and it just kind of led to other things. It was a snowball effect. Once that snowball kind of got going, it was tough to turn around, but I thought it was a great learning experience for me.”

— Jonathan Cannon, Pitcher (theconwaybulletin.com)

“[Being demoted to the minors] was tough, just very mentally challenging. I was probably a year and a half removed from being in the minor leagues, and so to get sent back down there in my second year, [when] I was hoping to take a step forward, was definitely mentally tough, definitely wore on me a little bit. So I feel like looking back on it now — it's obviously hard to see it when you're in it — it was just mentally what I needed.”

— Jonathan Cannon, Pitcher (theconwaybulletin.com)

“I think people grow as pitchers every single offseason. I think people learn from their mistakes, what they did during the season, then they continue to grow with what they're really, really good at. So just making adjustments throughout the offseason is really important for all the pitchers.”

— Korey Lee, White Sox Catcher (theconwaybulletin.com)

“[I'm] trying to get it to seam-shift a little bit more. I really wasn't doing that. . . . It [breaks] a little bit later, a little bit sharper. The feedback I've gotten back from the catchers and hitters has been great so far, so I think that'll be a great pitch for me this year.”

— Jonathan Cannon, Pitcher (theconwaybulletin.com)

“Whether it's the changeup, fastball location, there's a lot of different ways that he's able to get guys out. Just want to be able to make sure he understands what those things are. That was part of the calculus of sending him down, and he did a great job of kind of adding or at least rearranging his arsenal to be able to do that.”

— Will Venable, White Sox Manager (theconwaybulletin.com)

What’s next

The upcoming spring training games and the season opener will provide early indicators of whether these changes translate into sustained success for Cannon, potentially redefining his trajectory for 2026 and further career development.

The takeaway

Jonathan Cannon's sinker adjustment and offseason refinement signal a turning point as he aims to reestablish himself within the White Sox rotation. His willingness to learn from a difficult 2025 campaign, combined with a clearer pitching approach, could lead to improved performance against both left- and right-handed hitters, potentially reviving his career.