Today may be the favorite holiday of pranksters, jesters, and general fans of tomfoolery, but no shenanigans are taking place here, where we tackle part two of examining where American Association teams stand in terms of building their rosters for the 2026 season.

If you missed it, yesterday we looked at how the East Division is shaping up.

With the calendar now set on April, the final full month before the season begins is now underway before the season opens on May 14.

GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING NOTES:

• All signings listed here are reported by the American Association’s official transactions page
• All signings are as of March 30, 2026
• If a player was acquired in a trade, they are not considered “signed” until the AA lists the player as signed with their new team after the trade has been completed
• Players who were previously signed but have been released, traded away, or signed by an MLB organization are not listed

Today, we take a look under the hood of the West Division:

Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks

PITCHERS (11)	2025 Team (unless otherwise noted)
Jon Beymer	Evansville/Ottawa (Frontier)
Angelo Cabral	FARGO-MOORHEAD/Texas-Rio Grande Valley (NCAA)
Kyle Crigger	FARGO-MOORHEAD
Hunter Day	FARGO-MOORHEAD
Jake Dykhoff	FARGO-MOORHEAD
Liu Fuenmayor (L)	Tri-City (Frontier)
Tyler Grauer (L)	2024 – FARGO-MOORHEAD
Tyler Jeans	FARGO-MOORHEAD
Kolby Kiser	FARGO-MOORHEAD
Alex Koep (L)	2024 – South Dakota State (NCAA)
Justin Lopez	2023 – San Antonio (AA)
CATCHERS (2)
Tripp Clark	Lake Country/Kane County/Winnipeg/Chicago
Juan Fernandez	FARGO-MOORHEAD
INFIELDERS (8)
Peter Brookshaw	FARGO-MOORHEAD
Aidan Byrne	FARGO-MOORHEAD/Minnesota State (NCAA)
Osmy Gregorio	2024 – Lexington/Hagerstown (Atlantic)
Lou Helmig	Oakland (Pioneer)
Jake Hjelle	Boise (Pio.)/FARGO-MOORHEAD/Minn.-Crookston (NCAA)
Tucupita Marcano	2023 – Pittsburgh (MLB)/Indianapolis (AAA)
Andy Nelson	FARGO-MOORHEAD/Chicago/Iowa (NCAA)
Jose Sermo	FARGO-MOORHEAD/Cleburne
OUTFIELDERS (1)
Dillon Thomas	FARGO-MOORHEAD

Analysis: Fargo-Moorhead scuffled for more than half the season behind an offense that really struggled, but the bats finally caught up to the league’s best pitching staff in the second half, leading to a 26-15 finish and a 55-win season before bowing out of the postseason in a five-game West Finals. Last year was arguably Chris Coste’s best managerial job in re-assembling on the fly and turning over some rocks to find useful pieces. Now, they have a league-high 13 returners coming back.

Last year, the RedHawks posted a 3.65 ERA, the lowest team mark in a full AA season since Sioux City in 2018. Unsurprisingly, six arms are back, headlined by AA Pitcher of the Year Dykhoff, who began the year in the bullpen, but finished with a 1.63 ERA in 92.1 innings. Crigger is also back after logging a 3.64 ERA and leading the team in innings 108.2) and strikeouts (88). Grauer missed all of 2025 due to injury, but the three-time All-Star is back for another go, as is Kiser, who was a very solid #4 starter last season. The rotation is looking very solid, though the bullpen has a few more question marks. Fuenmayor was a very good Frontier League closer last year and Beymer also had success there. Jeans and Day impressed in small sample sizes down the stretch. Lopez is an interesting arm who converted to pitcher at Double-A in 2023 and wasn’t bad, but has only been seen sparingly in winter ball since.

The offense is headlined by veteran sluggers Sermo and Thomas. Thomas posted a .943 OPS and was a Postseason All-Star, while Sermo was picked up off the scrap heap midseason and posted a .946 OPS and blasted 15 homers in just 55 games. Fernandez has had two great seasons at the plate for a catcher and is back after hitting .307 last year. Clark is a interesting piece who was passed around four teams last year, but hit .293 over 65 games. Question marks abound after that. Brookshaw battled injuries and slumped last year and Byrne faced major growing pains as a first-year pro. Hjelle dealt with the same before going to the Pioneer League mid-season. Gregorio brings multiple years of Atlantic League experience into the infield mix. Marcano will be fascinating: he is currently banned by MLB and hasn’t played since 2023. What kind of playing shape is he in? Also…the RedHawks need some outfielders, with only Thomas penciled in there right now.

Of note: Jesus Lujano was acquired in a trade with Cleburne, but he has not officially signed with Fargo-Moorhead. If he does head north, he will be be playing center field and possibly at the top of the lineup. That’s a big piece to keep an eye on.

Kansas City Monarchs

PITCHERS (14)	2025 Team (unless otherwise noted)
Ryan Anderson (L)	Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)/Somerset (AA)
Josh Bortka	KANSAS CITY/Fort Myers (A)
Angel De Jesus	Aguascalientes (Mexican)
Grant Gambrell	KANSAS CITY/Campeche/Tabasco (Mexican)
Jacob Gomez	Rome(A+)/Augusta (A)
Jay Groome (L)	2024 – El Paso (AAA)
Jeff Hakanson	KANSAS CITY
Austin Hansen	Jalisco (Mexican)
Dakota Hudson	Salt Lake (AAA)
Ryan Middendorf	Nashville (AAA)/Biloxi (AA)
Steffon Moore (L)	KANSAS CITY
Cruz Noriega	KANSAS CITY/Northwest Arkansas (AA)/Omaha (AAA)
Nate Webb	Norfolk (AAA)/Chesapeake (AA)
Wyatt Wendell	2024 – Hillsboro (A+)
CATCHERS (3)
Ryan Leitch	KANSAS CITY
Brady Lindsly	Rochester (AAA)
Charles Mack	Harrisburg (AA)/Washington (Frontier)
INFIELDERS (4)
Josh Bissonette	KANSAS CITY
Austin Callahan	Chattanooga (AA)
Alvaro Gonzalez	KANSAS CITY
Kaden Polcovich	2024 – Arkansas (AA)
OUTFIELDERS (6)
Trevor Boone	Albuquerque (AAA)
Cam Eden	Somerset (AA)/Tampa (A)/FCL Yankees (Rok.)
Hudson Head	Altoona (AA)
Jhailyn Ortiz	KANSAS CITY/Monclova (Mexican)
Grant Richardson	Jacksonville (AAA)/Pensacola (AA)/Scranton/WB (AAA)/ Somerset (AA)
Marcus Smith	Frisco (AA)/Hub City (A+)

Analysis: After a miserable 2024, the Monarchs bounced back nicely with a 59-win 2025, finishing second in the West, but suffering a first-round exit in the postseason. Nonetheless, with the winning standard re-established, the Monarchs have 27 players signed up, including nine returners from a year ago.

The pitching staff is jammed packed, with an arm or two surely to come off before Opening Day. The back end of the bullpen looks really good, with Hakanson, Moore, and Noriega all back after pitching very well late last year. Gambrell turned in a few good starts down the stretch as well. There are a lot of intriguing imports, with Anderson, Middendorf, and Webb all having significant experience (and some success) in the upper minors. Gomez was filthy in the low minors (2.82 ERA, 11.8 K/9) before a shoplifting arrest caused his release. Groome is a former first-round pick looking for a reset after a year out of baseball, while Hudson is a seven-year MLB veteran starter. Trying to figure out five starters (or guess who’s still here in September) is a tricky errand, but it’s a group with more potential high-end talent that most AA teams.

The offense returns Gonzalez, Bissonette, and Leitch up the middle; all fine pieces but more complementary bats. Ortiz has shown glimpses in two partial seasons with the Monarchs, so it will be interesting to see what he does in a full season. Every single other hitter has played in at least Double-A, which is a double-sided coin: they all have cut their teeth against quality competition, but all of them have also struggled quite a bit as professionals (hence why they’re here). That entire group also has no Indy ball experience, making it tricky to guess how they might fit together. If I had to guess, Boone, Richardson, and Head are best positioned to be potential thumpers in the middle. I imagine an outfielder or two leaves that crowded group before Opening Day with another infielder or two needed.

Lincoln Saltdogs

PITCHERS (9)	2025 Team (unless otherwise noted)
Nate Blain	LINCOLN
Trey Jones	Boise (Pioneer)
Greg Loukinen (L)	LINCOLN
Connor Markl (L)	Boise (Pioneer)
Foster Pace	York (Atlantic)
Ryan Rembisz (L)	Ottawa (Frontier)/Portland (NCAA)
David Shaw (L)	LINCOLN/Frederick (MLBDL)/California (NCAA)
Tyler Stasiowski	Fort Myers (A)
Chandler Woolridge	2024 – Charleston Southern (NCAA)
CATCHERS (4)
Griffin Everett	LINCOLN
Ryan Grabosch	Boise (Pioneer)
Mason Minzey	Grand Junction (Pioneer)
Jacob Morrow	Cleburne
INFIELDERS (7)
Cary Arbodila	Hagerstown (Atlantic)
Emilio Barrera	Jupiter (A)/Grand Canyon (NCAA)
Jack Dragum	LINCOLN
Edwin Garcia	Yucatan/Durango (Mexican)
Calyn Halvorson	Gateway (Frontier)/Grand Junction (Pioneer)
Paul Myro	Boise (Pioneer)
Nick Shumpert	Sioux City/Cleburne
OUTFIELDERS (5)
Sam Linscott	Rocky Mountain (Pioneer)
Tanner O’Tremba	Winnipeg
Santino Panaro	Utah (NCAA)
Cam Phelts	Windy City (Frontier)
Jairo Pomares	Richmond (AA)

Analysis: After muddling around .500 for the first three years of the Brett Jodie regime, the bottom fell out for Lincoln the last two years, though they did manage to marginally improve and barely escape the cellar last year. Still, new management (James Frisbie) is in charge, and Lincoln has only five returners back among their 25 currently signed. The Saltdogs also dipped heavily into the Pioneer League well again (seven guys played there last year), which has not worked out very well for them lately.

Despite a full roster numbers-wise, only nine pitchers are inked (that will definitely change). The headliner is Pace, who had a 3.11 ERA in 15 starts for Lincoln in ’24, then was an Atlantic League champion in York last year. Blain and Loukinen both were rotation arms last year, giving Lincoln three dependable options at the forefront. Any improvement from Shaw, the only returning bullpen arm, will be welcome. Stasiowski struggled in Low-A last year and the rest of the staff has very little pro experience. Lincoln needs a lot more pitching.

The offense was better last year than some previous seasons, but is basically starting over. Both Dragum and Everett played only 30ish games apiece last year and are the only returners. Phelts has been decent in the Frontier League and can hit leadoff…if he can hit enough. Maybe there’s something there with Linscott as well. O’Tremba and Shumpert spent all of ’25 in the AA, but both struggled mightily, so Lincoln needs a lot more than their respective teams got last year. The most intriguing bat to me is Arbolida, who posted a .770 OPS and popped 12 homers in the Atlantic League last year. He’s a dark-horse 20-homer threat if he can make enough contact. There’s also intrigue with former top prospect Pomares, who was wrecked by an injury in ’23 and never bounced back, so he definitely has pure talent. Also, I have no idea why Lincoln has four catchers signed, so I’m sure a couple are going to come off as the Saltdogs add arms.

Sioux City Explorers

PITCHERS (9)	2025 Team (unless otherwise noted)
Ryan Beaird	SIOUX CITY/Tarleton State (NCAA)
Reed Butz (L)	Oakland (Pioneer)
Max Charnin	2024 – Florida Memorial (NAIA)
Ben DeTaeye (L)	SIOUX CITY/Iowa (NCAA)
Rob Hughes	Idaho Falls (Pioneer)
Trey Morrill	Rocky Mountain (Pioneer)
Peniel Otano	SIOUX CITY
Julio Rosario	Columbia (A)
Tahnaj Thomas	SIOUX CITY/Milwaukee
CATCHERS (2)
Wilfredo Gimenez	Miranda (Venezuela)
Dillon Tatum	Oakland (Pioneer)
INFIELDERS (7)
Cam Bufford	Oakland (Pioneer)
Zane Denton	Northern Colorado/Billings/Yuba-Sutter (Pioneer)
Jordan Donahue	Hawaii (NCAA)
Elliot Good	Ogden (Pioneer)
Alberto Osuna	Staten Island (Atlantic)
Yorman Rodriguez	La Guaira (Venezuela)
Braulio Vasquez	Leon (Mexican)
OUTFIELDERS (3)
Yeison Asencio	2024 – Saltillo (Mexican)
D’Shawn Knowles	SIOUX CITY
Jackson Mayo	Williamsport (MLBDL)/South Florida (NCAA)

Analysis: Last season made me question everything I thought I knew about Sioux City’s roster construction. Preseason, I thought it was a roster than was not good and would miss the playoffs…and they won 64 games and were in first place basically all season. The track record coming in and the results they produced did NOT add up…Well, Steve Montgomery is at it again, with only five returners back among 21 players signed, including, like Lincoln, seven Pioneer League ex-pats. Let’s see if Mongo does it again or if I get my “I told you so” a year late.

Only nine arms are signed and DeTaeye is the headliner of the group after looking exceptional (1.45 ERA in 31.0 innings) in his first pro action in relief last year. Beaird and Thomas weren’t in Siouxland long, but looked solid in the action they did get. The X’s had three great starters…and Otano was the fourth starter. It did not go well for him, but he’s the only one of that group back, so any uptick will be welcome. Hughes and Morrill had high Pioneer League ERAs, but got swings and misses, so maybe one of them makes a Chase Jessee-like transformation this year. Butz will almost certainly open in the rotation, which still has several more open slots.

The offense has only returner, Knowles, who’s back after hitting .286 with 53 steals last year. While it’s the only piece, it’s still a big one to bring back. Interesting is the signing of four veteran hitters who’ve mostly been only overseas for years, including Asencio, who hasn’t played for a US-based team since 2016. Gimenez was an Explorer in 2023 and has long been a dependable AA backstop, returning after two years out of the States. Osuna is the only other import with high-level Indy experience, showing a solid eye and putting up a .747 OPS in his first pro action in the Atlantic League last year. He’s someone to keep an eye on. Multiple ex-Pioneer Leaguers and a couple first-year pros round out the offense, so we’ll see what they get from that group.

Sioux Falls Canaries

PITCHERS (8)	2025 Team (unless otherwise noted)
Nicholai Arbach	Dakota State (NAIA)
Spencer Bauer	UCF (NCAA)
Kody Dalen	SIOUX FALLS/St. Thomas (NCAA)
Chase Gearing	Milwaukee
Charlie Hasty	SIOUX FALLS/Chihuahua/Puebla (Mexican)
Will Levine	SIOUX FALLS
Garrett Martin	Southern Maryland (Atlantic)/Yuba-Sutter (Pioneer)/Milwaukee
Ryan Richardson	SIOUX FALLS
CATCHERS (3)
Scott Combs	SIOUX FALLS
Drey Dirken	SIOUX FALLS
T.J. Racherbaumer	Williamsport (MLBDL)/Emporia State
INFIELDERS (4)
Trevor Achenbach	SIOUX FALLS
Jalen Greer	Windy City (Frontier)
Mike Hart	SIOUX FALLS
Chris Kwitzer	Cleburne/Hagerstown (Atlantic)
OUTFIELDERS (3)
Jabari Henry	SIOUX FALLS
Josh Rehwaldt	SIOUX FALLS
Joe Vos	SIOUX FALLS/St. Thomas (NCAA)

Analysis: Mike Meyer pulled off an exceptional multi-year rebuild, taking Sioux Falls from 67 losses in 2022 to three outs from the Miles Wolff Cup three years later. Early returns suggest this is looking like the year the Canaries take a step back. Only 18 players (second-fewest in the league) are signed, though 11 are returners from last year’s runner-up squad.

The pitching side is…worrisome. There is no starting rotation in sight. Well, Gearing and Martin did start games last year for other teams…and we’ll leave it at that. Hasty, Levine, and Richardson is not a bad start to the back of the bullpen, while Dalen had an inflated ERA in his first pro experience, but did have over a strikeout per inning, so that’s an arm to keep an eye on. Two other first-time pros are signed…and that’s it for arms. The to-do list is long.

The offense is in a considerably better spot, with All-Stars Combs and Rehwaldt back, plus two rock-solid veteran run-producers in Hart and Henry. Achenbach had a strong 2024 (.869 OPS, 19 homers), but absolutely crashed last year, so a bounce-back from him will go a long ways. Vos showed some promise in ’25 and could blossom with a full-time role to himself. It’s a pretty steep drop after that, starting with a suspect left side of the infield (especially considering who they replace) that right now has Indy ball veteran Kwitzer and the younger Greer both coming in after difficult seasons elsewhere.

Winnipeg Goldeyes

PITCHERS (14)	2025 Team (unless otherwise noted)
Landen Bourassa	WINNIPEG
Luke Boyd	WINNIPEG
James Bradwell	WINNIPEG
Derrick Cherry	WINNIPEG
James Colyer	Oakland (Pioneer)
Arij Fransen	Chattanooga (AA)
Ryo Kohigashi (L)	Quebec (Frontier)
Mitch Lambson (L)	WINNIPEG
Weston Lombard (L)	WINNIPEG
Noah Millikan	Oakland (Pioneer)
Tasker Strobel (L)	WINNIPEG
Willian Suarez	2024 – Tri-City (A+)
Kevin Vaupel (L)	Jupiter (A)
Quinn Waterhouse (L)	Boise/Rocky Mountain (Pioneer)
CATCHERS (1)
Kevin Garcia	WINNIPEG
INFIELDERS (5)
Ramon Bramasco	WINNIPEG
Ray-Patrick Didder	WINNIPEG
Mason Dobie	Dayton (NCAA)
Keshawn Lynch	WINNIPEG
T.J Schofield-Sam	Midland (AA)/Lansing (A+)
OUTFIELDERS (4)
Adam Hall	Biloxi (AA)/Nashville (AAA)
Noah Marcelo	Boise (Pioneer)
Max Murphy	WINNIPEG
Jiandido Tromp	2024 – San Marino (Italy)

Analysis: Winnipeg went from an appearance in the Miles Wolff Cup Finals in 2024 to last place a season ago. What happened? Well, the offense was extremely disappointing and the pitching took a step back, but was still the better side of the ball for the Goldeyes. Logan Watkins is doubling down on the arms, with 14 of his 24 currently-signed players being pitchers, including seven of his 12 returners.

Everything I said about Sioux Falls’ rotation? Take that, reverse it, and that’s Winnipeg. Here’s your Opening Day rotation: Lambson, Boyd, Bourassa, Bradwell, and Millikan (order up to debate), lock it in now. No one in there is an ace (not anymore, sorry Mitch), but there are five above-average starters right there with four returners and Millkan, the Pioneer League’s best pitcher last year, joining them. Strobel is a perennially-excellent reliever coming back and Cherry was a bullpen workhorse last year. Lombard also turned in a handful of nice outings after arriving late in the year. Kohigashi is coming in after two great years in the Frontier League, while Vaupel is another southpaw reliever import I like. This is shaping up to a deep staff, though we’ll see an arm or two come off before Opening Day.

The offense was the area in need of some re-shaping and that’s still the case. Bramasco and future AA Hall-of-Famer Murphy were two of the Fish’s top hitters last year, while Lynch and Garcia were serviceable in their roles. Didder has a solid eye and popped 10 homers, but his .199 average from last year can’t happen again. Schofield-Sam is my favorite incoming bat, as he’s had plenty of success in the low minors, but just hit a wall at Double-A. I think he’ll hit here. Hall had a great week in Winnipeg in ’24 before he got picked up, so let’s see if he recaptures that lightning in a bottle. Tromp has played just about everywhere, so I’m curious to see what he has left in the tank, while Marcelo is a flyer after a huge year in the Pioneer League. There’s still room for another bat in all three position groups, so I’m curious what Winnipeg will come up with.

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