Cam Cannarella, a name Clemson fans won’t soon forget, is scorching the ball in Double-A Pensacola. The former Tiger launched his sixth home run in just nine games Tuesday night, and he’s quickly become one of the hottest bats in the Marlins system.
He didn’t waste any time getting to work. Cannarella crushed a solo shot in the third inning against Rocket City, right after teammate Dylan Jasso went deep for a two-run blast of his own. The back-to-back homers put Pensacola up 3-1, and the Blue Wahoos cruised the rest of the way to a 9-2 win.
The bat is the headline, but it’s not the only thing turning heads. On Monday, the 22-year-old outfielder timed a leap perfectly to rob a home run in right field and get the Pensacola crowd on its feet.
Since getting the call from High-A Beloit earlier this month, Cannarella has looked right at home. He was just named Southern League Player of the Week, a quick sign he’s not planning to ease into this level.
The numbers back it up. He’s hitting .333 with nine home runs and 47 RBIs on the season. Before the promotion, he tore through High-A pitching over 19 games, slashing .394/.439/.577 with a 1.016 OPS. In 71 at-bats he racked up three homers, two doubles, a triple, 22 RBIs, 15 runs, two steals and eight walks against just 10 strikeouts.
The Marlins took Cannarella at No. 43 overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, and he signed for $2.28 million — a bit above slot value.
Before turning pro, Cannarella was a star at Clemson from 2023 to 2025, earning three All-ACC selections and two All-American nods. Across 178 games in a Tiger uniform, he hit .360 with 262 hits, 54 doubles, eight triples, 23 home runs, 159 RBIs, 192 runs and 30 stolen bases, finishing with a .551 slugging percentage and a .453 on-base percentage. It’s a résumé that ranks him among the best to ever wear the orange.
