The entire American Association is off today, marking the second-to-last day of the 2026 regular season (also August 31) without at least one game in the circuit taking place. Today also marks exactly four weeks from the final day of the season as the season rapidly approaches the postseason.

A pair of winning streaks made the postseason race a little more interesting with both divisions having at least three teams within three games of first place.

Additionally, this week is expected to see the American Association’s 13th franchise being awarded. Nothing has been officially confirmed, but we do know that Commissioner Joshua Schaub indicated an announcement is coming August 12 (Wednesday). All signs seem to point to one locale in particular.

As for the on-field storylines:

Streaks Shrink Division Leads

Last week as notable as the Winnipeg Goldeyes set a franchise record with a 12-game winning streak, which was snapped on Saturday in Lincoln. Meanwhile, Kane County has won 10 consecutive games, their longest tear since moving to the American Association in 2021.

Both of those runs shot middling teams into division title contention. Kane County was sitting at 31-31 and 7.5 games back of first place Milwaukee when their streak began on July 29. Despite the Milkmen continuing to play well, the Cougars have knocked 4 1/2 games off the deficit, sitting 3.0 games back and comfortably in third place, having put slumping Cleburne in the rear view.

Kane County did catch a bad break on Sunday in Gary SouthShore, as the Cougars led 5-0 with ace Konnor Ash on the mound when the tarp came on after four innings. One more complete inning would have the Cougars an 11th straight win and another half-game shaved off. Instead, the game never restarted, the results were wiped, and the game cancelled with no matchups left between the two sides. We’ll see if the Cougars will wish they had that potential win later.

Meanwhile, Winnipeg put together an even more impressive rise. The Goldeyes hadn’t even been above .500 this season and were 27-31 on July 24, sitting 7.5 games out of first and just one game above fifth-place Sioux City. One 12-0 run (now 12-2) later, Winnipeg reached just a half-game out of first on Friday and are now 1.5 back of Kansas City in second place while 6.5 games above the playoff cut line.

RailCats Can’t Claw Back Into Race

As things stand, all eight playoff teams are pretty well set. The Gary SouthShore RailCats had an opportunity to possibly change that with a good week, but couldn’t cash in. While fourth-place Cleburne stumbled to an 0-6 week (more on that in a minute), Gary SouthShore had the chance to build off a pair of series wins and put a dent in their deficit.

After a win on Tuesday, the RailCats didn’t win again in a 1-4 week and still sit 5.5 games out of a playoff spot. While the matchups (at Milwaukee and home vs. Kane County) were difficult, they were in it until the end in all four defeats: Gary SouthShore lost one extra-inning game and were tied or leading going into the eighth inning in three of the four setbacks.

Alas, the RailCats couldn’t make any meaningful headway. Luckily, they have a great chance to make a postseason push despite their 29-45 run. Why? Well, they have six games at Cleburne this week. Not only that, but six with last-place Chicago follow (10 of their last 19 are against the Dogs). They need to start winning a lot now, but amazingly, a legitimate opportunity to turn it around is there for the RailCats. But they missed a chance for a head start.

Southernmost Squads Stumble

Cleburne and Kansas City are the two southernmost franchises in the AA and neither of them had a very good week. The Railroaders, as mentioned above, went winless, having now lost six in a row and sitting at 35-40 after a 4-14 slide going back to July 21.

The Monarchs, meanwhile, had a manageable week lined up at home, but went 2-4 and lost series to Lincoln and Fargo-Moorhead. The finale yesterday with the RedHawks was particularly painful, kicking away a three-run lead in the eighth with four unearned runs to cap a dud of a homestand. Kansas City is still in first, but their division led is just 1.5 games over Winnipeg. Fargo-Moorhead and Sioux Falls are also both within 3.0 games of the Monarchs at the top.

Sunday Swing For Sioux’s

With Sioux City hosting a Chicago team in utter disarray and Sioux Falls tangling with a Milwaukee team with the best record in the league, the X’s had a great opportunity to put a bite in a a 6.0-game deficit between the two sides.

Friday and Saturday played out perfectly for the X’s with two wins and two Canaries losses, though the Explorers needed the robbery of a go-ahead homer to end the game on Saturday. On Sunday, though, the Birds took down the Milkmen on a Chase Englehard walk-off homer, while the X’s fell behind 9-1 and couldn’t come all the way back, falling 9-6. After a true two-steps-forward, one-step-back weekend, Sioux City still is 5.0 games back of Sioux Falls for the final playoff spot.

Both teams have a brutal week ahead, with both visiting both Fargo-Moorhead and Winnipeg this week to kick off a punishing next two weeks for both sides.

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