It’s here. Okay, maybe not quite here with no games on tap tonight, but one week from today, the curtain closes on the 2026 American Association regular season. It’ hard to believe the 100-game dash is already in the homestretch, but here we are.
Naturally, playoff talk is the name of the game as there are still spots to be decided. As of Sunday night, the entire East Division field is in place, but the West still has three spots officially up for grab, including a race for the final playoff spot that is the one race truly still up for grabs at this point.
Divisions Nearly Decided
The Kansas City Monarchs and Milwaukee Milkmen both clinched playoff berths last week, but they weren’t content with just a dance ticket, as evidenced by the work both teams put in on the road this past weekend.
Kansas City took advantage of a Lincoln team wilting under the brunt of a brutal schedule (their final 41 games are against teams currently in a playoff spot) and picked up a tidy three-game sweep to finish the weekend 3.5 games above Winnipeg, plus another half-game will likely be gained when the Goldeyes resume a suspended game on Tuesday that they currently trail 11-1.
Meanwhile, the Milkmen went to Newman Outdoor Field and completely outclassed Fargo-Moorhead. Friday’s contest was a 2-1 nail-biter that sent Jhordany Mezquita to 11-0 on the year, but over the weekend, Milwaukee scored 19 runs in the last two games to sweep the RedHawks. Coupled with Lake Country losing their last two games at Winnipeg, the Milkmen now hold a 4.0-game lead.
The West could possibly get interesting. Why? Winnipeg finishes with four games at Kansas City, so you know the Monarchs would love to wrap things up before then. They’ll first have to fight off a Sioux City team trying to claw into the postseason, while Winnipeg has their suspended game, plus three more at Fargo-Moorhead.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee will go to Lincoln for three before facing the RedHawks again (this time at home) to finish the year, while Lake Country closes at Gary SouthShore then at home against Sioux City.
Sioux Supremacy: Falls Fighting Off City
The biggest drama remaining is which Sioux will claim the West’s final playoff spot: Sioux City or Sioux Falls?
The Canaries entered the weekend just a half-game ahead and gained a sliver of breathing room, taking two of three at Gary SouthShore while the X’s split four with Kane County.
So, Sioux Falls enters the final week with a 1.0-game lead, but they also have two other factors working in their favor: they hold the tiebreaker over Sioux City, plus the schedule is more favorable for the Canaries.
The Birds will finish with at home, starting with three with Cleburne, who has the worst road record of any team in a playoff spot (17-26) and just clinched their spot on Sunday, so they really have nothing to accomplish besides wait and see who they open up with. Then they will host Lincoln for four, with the Saltdogs likely eliminated by the weekend.
Meanwhile, the X’s have to finish on the road…and it’s a brutal trip. First they go to Kansas City for three with a Monarchs team that’s 27-16 at home and trying to lock down a division title. They they’ll finish with four at Lake Country, who could still be in the division hunt in the final weekend, plus has the league’s second-best home record (30-16).
Both teams are aiming for their fourth straight postseason trip, which would be a franchise record for both squads.
Where They Stand
East Division
| Team | W | L | Win Pct. | GB | Remaining Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Milkmen – x | 56 | 37 | .602 | — | 3 @ LIN, 4 vs. FM |
| Lake Country DockHounds – x | 52 | 41 | .565 | 4.0 | 3 @ GAR, 4 vs. SC |
| Kane County Cougars – x | 50 | 42 | .543 | 5.5 | 3 @ CHI, 4 vs. CLE |
| Cleburne Railroaders – x | 46 | 47 | .495 | 10.0 | 3 @ SF, 4 @ KCO |
| Gary SouthShore RailCats – e | 38 | 54 | .413 | 17.5 | 3 vs. LC, 4 @ CHI |
| Chicago Dogs – e | 29 | 64 | .312 | 26.5 | 3 vs. KCO, 4 vs. GAR |
West Division
| Team | W | L | Win Pct. | GB | Remaining Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Monarchs -x | 55 | 38 | .591 | — | 3 vs. SC, 4 vs. WIN |
| Winnipeg Goldeyes | 51 | 41 | .554 | 3.5 | 3+susp. @ FM, 4 @ KC |
| Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks | 48 | 44 | .522 | 6.5 | 3+susp. vs. WIN, 4 @ MIL |
| Sioux Falls Canaries | 46 | 47 | .495 | 9.0 | 3 vs. CLE, 4 vs. LIN |
| Sioux City Explorers | 45 | 48 | .484 | 10.0 | 3 @ KC, 4 @ MIL |
| Lincoln Saltdogs | 40 | 53 | .430 | 15.0 | 3 vs. MIL, 4 @ SF |
e-Eliminated from playoff contention
Tiebreakers
- Milwaukee holds tiebreaker over Lake Country (10-2 head-to-head)
- Winnipeg holds tiebreaker over Kansas City (7-3 head-to-head; 4 games remaining)
- Winnipeg holds tiebreaker over Fargo-Moorhead (5-4 head-to-head; 3 games plus suspended game remaining)
- Fargo-Moorhead holds tiebreaker over Sioux Falls (7-6 head-to-head)
- Fargo-Moorhead holds tiebreaker over Sioux City (better divisional record)
- Sioux Falls holds tiebreaker over Sioux City (9-3 head-to-head)
- Sioux City holds tiebreaker over Winnipeg (8-4 head-to-head)
- Barring further cancellation, all tiebreakers involving Kane County will be irrelevant due to cancelled game
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