KC Monarchs closing in on playoff berth. They’re chasing a 4th straight division title

Carter Woodiel
·2 min read

The pennant race is here for the Kansas City Monarchs.

With just two weeks until the American Association’s Labor Day regular-season finale, the Monarchs lead the West Division by 4.5 games.

They took three of four to begin a home series with Fargo-Moorhead over the weekend. The RedHawks, once Kansas City’s top rival for first place, have fallen out of postseason contention.

“Just keep it rolling,” Monarchs outfielder Jacob Robson said after homering twice in Saturday’s win. “That’s the thing about baseball, it’s such a momentum-based game.”

The Monarchs are trying to become just the second team in league history to win four straight division titles (that doesn’t count 2020, when the Monarchs didn’t field a team due to the pandemic). The Wichita Wingnuts won eight straight from 2010 to 2017.

It’s not a done deal. The Monarchs face second-place Sioux City in their final homestand of the season. A sweep by the Explorers could launch them into the fight for first place.

The Monarchs faced Fargo-Moorhead one more time Monday before beginning a road series against division rivals Winnipeg and Lincoln.

RELOADING

Injuries have struck the Monarchs clubhouse lately, prompting manager Joe Calfapietra to make a handful of additions to the roster. As is typical for the club, it’s more of a reload than a rebuild.

Former major-leaguer Ashton Goudeau made his team debut Friday. The former Rockies and Reds right-hander is taking Dalton Moats’ spot in the rotation after the KC native suffered a forearm strain.

Goudeau was brilliant in a 4-3 Kansas City win against Fargo-Moorhead, allowing one run over six innings without walking a batter.

The Monarchs have eight former major-leaguers on their roster, even after trading outfielder Aaron Whitefield to Sioux Falls for cash considerations over the weekend.

There are new faces on the Monarchs’ infield after Peter Maris (Achilles) and Gavin Collins (hamstring) suffered their own injuries.

Former Rockies and White Sox prospect Taylor Snyder homered in his first game with Kansas City last week.

Cameron Cannon, a former second-round draft pick by the Red Sox, tripled and scored in his Monarchs debut Friday night.

Calfapietra has made one more tweak to the team’s structure. Overland Park native Miller Hogan has moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation.

Nolan Brooks contributed to this report.