2013
The American Association trotted out the same 13-team lineup as they did in 2012, forcing the league to once again engage in interleague play with the Can-Am League to balance the schedule. However, change would be on the horizon, as in September 2012, a new ballpark was approved in El Paso—but not for the Diablos. In 2014, Triple-A baseball would be coming to West Texas, leaving a lame-duck 2013 as the final season for the Diablos and American Association baseball in the West Texas town of El Paso.
Fargo-Moorhead outlasted archrival Winnipeg for the North Division crown, while Wichita posted a then-record 68 wins, though Gary SouthShore took second and the wild card berth. The South was the best race, where Amarillo and Laredo were leading much of the way. However, the Lemurs finished the season 3-6 (with a cancellation) on a three-city, Can-Am road trip and Amarillo went 2-5 through Fargo-Moorhead and Sioux Falls in the season’s final week. Grand Prairie, meanwhile, won their final six games to steal the South by 1.5 games over Laredo and two games over Amarillo.
In the postseason, Wichita pulled off the staggering feat of shutting out Grand Prairie in all three games (combined score: 21-0) to sweep the AirHogs, while Gary SouthShore flexed strong pitching, allowing just five runs in a four-game series win over Fargo-Moorhead. In the Finals, the RailCats rained down 50 hits (none of them homers) and 26 runs, upsetting the Wingnuts in a four-game series where Gary SouthShore won the final two games in one-run fashion at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, claiming their first Miles Wolff Cup.
Final Standings (Click on team name for full schedule)
North Division
| Team | W | L | Win Pct. | GB | Runs Scored | Runs Allowed | Attend. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks-y | 62 | 38 | .620 | — | 519 | 429 | 186,091 |
| Winnipeg Goldeyes | 56 | 44 | .560 | 6.0 | 516 | 470 | 276,359 |
| St. Paul Saints | 47 | 53 | .470 | 15.0 | 509 | 509 | 239,399 |
| Sioux Falls Canaries | 42 | 58 | .420 | 20.0 | 505 | 561 | 161,131 |
Central Division
| Team | W | L | Win Pct. | GB | Runs Scored | Runs Allowed | Attend. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita Wingnuts-y | 68 | 32 | .680 | — | 609 | 389 | 147,119 |
| Gary SouthShore RailCats-x | 58 | 41 | .586 | 9.5 | 482 | 454 | 165,024 |
| Lincoln Saltdogs | 49 | 51 | .490 | 19.0 | 460 | 490 | 177,982 |
| Kansas City T-Bones | 40 | 60 | .400 | 28.0 | 501 | 570 | 265,596 |
| Sioux City Explorers | 38 | 62 | .380 | 30.0 | 403 | 497 | 52,052 |
South Division
| Team | W | L | Win Pct. | GB | Runs Scored | Runs Allowed | Attend. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prairie AirHogs-x | 54 | 46 | .540 | — | 471 | 451 | 111,195 |
| Laredo Lemurs | 52 | 47 | .525 | 1.5 | 534 | 498 | 151,055 |
| Amarillo Sox | 52 | 48 | .520 | 2.0 | 602 | 424 | 105,798 |
| El Paso Diablos | 39 | 61 | .390 | 15.0 | 503 | 645 | 111,230 |
The American Association took part in interleague play with the Can-Am League, posting a 57-41 record as a league
Playoffs
First Round — GARY SOUTHSHORE WINS 3-1
| Date | Score | W | L | SV | Attend. |
| 9/4/13 | Gary SouthShore 0 at Fargo-Moorhead 2 | J. Harris | A. Quijano | – | 2,107 |
| 9/5/13 | Gary SouthShore 11 at Fargo-Moorhead 2 | S. Hiscock | A. Caldera | – | 2,086 |
| 9/6/13 | Fargo-Moorhead 1 at Gary SouthShore 3 | B. Spottiswood | B. Ernst | – | 1,683 |
| 9/7/13 | Fargo-Moorhead 0 at Gary SouthShore 3 | M. Coombs | J. Laber | I. Durham | 1,148 |
First Round — WICHITA WINS 3-0
| Date | Score | W | L | SV | Attend. |
| 9/4/13 | Wichita 2 at Grand Prairie 0 (12 innings) | L. Holdzkom | S. Nikonchik | J. Dew | 585 |
| 9/5/13 | Wichita 6 at Grand Prairie 0 | C. Smith | J. Strawn | – | 532 |
| 9/6/13 | Grand Prairie 0 at Wichita 13 | A. Capra | D. Blacksher | – | 1,204 |
American Association Finals — GARY SOUTHSHORE WINS 3-1
| Date | Score | W | L | SV | Attend. |
| 9/10/13 | Wichita 4 at Gary SouthShore 9 | W. Krout | J. Giulietti | – | 1,694 |
| 9/11/13 | Wichita 6 at Gary SouthShore 4 (10 innings) | J. Dew | K. Lindquist | E. Lambe | 2,168 |
| 9/13/13 | Gary SouthShore 7 at Wichita 6 | E. Uriegas | J. Klipp | M. Gonzalez | 1,918 |
| 9/14/13 | Gary SouthShore 6 at Wichita 5 | M. Coombs | J. Guerra | M. Gonzalez | 1,132 |
Award Winners
| Player of the Year | C.J Ziegler (Wichita) 100 G, .318/.408/.645, 121 H, 81 R, 32 2B, 30 HR, 99 RBI |
| Pitcher of the Year | Taylor Stanton (Fargo-Moorhead) 9-4, 2.43 ERA, 19 G, 3 CG, 126.0 IP, 108 K, 1.143 WHIP |
| Rookie of the Year | Joe Weik (Amarillo) 97 G, .327/.371/.477, 128 H, 69 R, 32 2B, 7 HR, 81 RBI |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Leugim Barroso (Sioux City) 99 G, .971 Fld%, 13 errors, 62 DP, 456 chances at SS |
| Manager of the Year | Kevin Hooper (Wichita) 68-32 record, reached Finals |
Postseason All-Stars
| Catcher | Brian Peterson (Laredo) 95 G, .289/.363/.398, 98 H, 49 R, 18 2B, 5 HR, 47 RBI |
| First Base | C.J Ziegler (Wichita) 100 G, .318/.408/.645, 121 H, 81 R, 32 2B, 30 HR, 99 RBI |
| Second Base | Jake Kahaulelio (Wichita) 95 G, .322/.408/.544, 120 H, 91 R, 24 2B, 17 HR, 68 RBI, 16 SB |
| Third Base | Abel Nieves (Wichita) 99 G, .357/.446/479, 128 H, 59 R, 23 2B, 5 HR, 51 RBI, 17 SB |
| Shortstop | Maikol Gonzalez (El Paso) 99 G, .337/.423/.446, 130 H, 85 R, 21 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 43 RBI, 47 SB |
| Outfield | Nick Van Stratten (Sioux Falls) 96 G, .352/.404/.527, 143 H, 75 R, 25 2B, 14 3B, 6 HR, 54 RBI, 25 SB |
| Outfield | Brent Clevlen (Wichita) 70 G, .322/.413/.582, 84 H, 57 R, 20 2B, 14 HR, 51 RBI, 14 SB |
| Outfield | Chris Valencia (Amarillo) 98 G, .328/.380/.426, 133 H, 68 R, 23 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 54 RBI, 12 SB |
| Designated Hitter | John Rodriguez (Wichita) 100 G, .337/.396/.560, 138 H, 85 R, 26 2B, 19 HR, 86 RBI, 14 SB |
| Starting Pitcher | Taylor Stanton (Fargo-Moorhead) 9-4, 2.43 ERA, 19 G, 3 CG, 126.0 IP, 108 K, 1.143 WHIP |
| Relief Pitcher | Patrick Mincey (Grand Prairie) 5-1, 1.01 ERA, 50 G, 24 SV, 53.1 IP, 55 K, 0.881 WHIP |
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