American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, Rob Pannier breaks down the Miles Wolff Cup Finals, analyzing the two teams and how they compare to one another. Plus, Rob provides a prediction on who he believes will win the championship series. This is your place to find the most detailed analysis of the Cup Finals.

Chicago Dogs vs. Kansas City Monarchs

For some, this finals series in the American Association is a year too late. Last year, these two teams finished first in their respective divisions, but neither made it to the Miles Wolff Cup Finals. However, they say good things come to those who wait, and that will be the case as these two teams meet in Game 1 at Impact Field in Rosemount, Illinois on Saturday evening.

This will be the first time that the Dogs have appeared in the championship series, while Kansas City is making the championship series a regular thing, appearing now in three of the last five Miles Wolff Cup Finals. That would seem to be a major advantage for the Monarchs.

This series has a lot of intriguing storylines. It starts with the fact that Dylan Rosa began the season with Kansas City and was traded to Chicago just before the All-Star break. These teams play in two of the biggest markets in the league and it pits two of the winningest managers in independent/partner league baseball history.

These are just some of the fun storylines, but it all starts with the players. Here is a look at the teams and who has the advantages. Plus, a prediction on who wins the Miles Wolff Cup.

Tale of the Tape

(Ranking in American Association listed in parenthesis)

Chicago Dogs

Overall Record: 56-44 (T-1st in East, T-2^nd overall)

Home Record: 30-21 (5)
Away Record: 26-23 (2)
Last 10: 6-4

Batting:

Average: .275 (3)
Homeruns: 108 (5)
Runs Scored: 572 (4)
Slugging %: .437 (5)
On-Base %: .362 (T-4)
Stolen Bases: 152 (3)

Pitching:

ERA: 4.50 (5)
Saves: 23 (6)
Walks: 369 (2)
Strikeouts: 876 (1)
Opponent Average: .263 (7)
WHIP: 1.44 (5)

Fielding:

Fielding %: .977 (9)
Errors: 83 (9)

Kansas City Monarchs

Overall Record: 59-40 (1^st in West, 1^st Overall)

Home Record: 31-18 (2)
Away Record: 28-22 (1)
Last 10: 6-4

Batting:

Average: .286 (1)
Homeruns: 140 (1)
Runs Scored: 603 (2)
Slugging %: .476 (1)
On-Base %: .368 (3)
Stolen Bases: 128 (6)

Pitching:

ERA: 4.33 (1)
Saves: 19 (9)
Walks: 400 (8)
Strikeouts: 855 (2)
Opponent Average: .248 (2)
WHIP: 1.42 (T-3)

Fielding:

Fielding %: .971 (12)
Errors: 103 (12)

Head-to-Head

Chicago Won Season Series: 4-3

June 16 – Kansas City at Chicago: 4-6
June 17 – Kansas City at Chicago: 4-7
June 18 – Kansas City at Chicago: 5-4
June 19 – Kansas City at Chicago: 5-11
June 23 – Chicago at Kansas City: 7-4
June 24 – Chicago at Kansas City: 6-14
June 25 – Chicago at Kansas City: 3-8

Finals Series Schedule

September 16: Kansas City at Chicago
September 17: Kansas City at Chicago
September 19: Chicago at Kansas City
September 20: Chicago at Kansas City *
September 21: Chicago at Kansas City *

*– if needed

Catcher

This is one of the more interesting matchups in the championship series, as Ryan Lidge and Chris Herrmann are the heart of their respective teams. Lidge is the longest active player on the Dogs roster, joining the team in 2021. That says a lot about the amount of turnover the team has faced, but Lidge has been incredible behind the plate, hitting at least .312 in each of his three seasons, including a .330 batting average this season. The catcher clubbed nine homers, scored 67 runs, and drove in 63. He is a career .319 hitter in the American Association.

Herrmann was named by the league as the Batter of the Year after hitting .355 with 23 homers and 88 RBI in 94 games. The catcher’s statistics did not end there, as he scored 72 runs, and posted an impressive .439 on-base percentage and a .617 slugging percentage. Herrmann finished third in the league in batting average, fifth in home runs, tied for first in RBI, second in on-base percentage, third in slugging percentage, and second in extra-base hits (49).

Advantage: Even

First Base

Luke Mangieri had an impressive season for the Dogs, finishing second on the team in home runs (17) and RBI (72). He finished with a .280 batting average and posted a .396 on-base percentage. Mangieri has struggled in the postseason, hitting .208 with three runs scored and four RBI.

Brian O’Grady can play both outfield and first base, and will get the start at first during this series. O’Grady hit .242 with 12 homers and 39 RBI in 57 games. He has a .222 batting average through the first five games of the playoffs. There are two additional catchers on this team and one may play first at times during the series. That could move O’Grady to the outfield or even to the bench.

Advantage: Chicago Dogs

Second Base

Payton Eeles has become a huge spark plug for the Dogs since joining the team out of college. The second baseman appeared in 39 games, hitting .311 with 29 runs scored and 20 RBI. He also stole 13 bases and posted an impressive .390 on-base percentage during the regular season. During the playoffs, Eeles has been a huge catalyst for the team, going 9-20 (.450) with three runs scored and eight RBI through the first six games.

Justin Wylie would be an MVP candidate if Herrmann was not on the team. Wylie was the starting second baseman for the West Division All-Star team and was well deserving, hitting .309 with 73 runs scored, 17 homers, and 56 RBI. He also walked 55 times and really stepped up his power numbers in the second half of the season. Wylie will steal a base at times, too, recording 16, but was thrown out eight times, and he made 18 errors during the regular season.

Advantage: Even

Third Base

Cody Bohanek had a rather mundane season, hitting .243 with nine homers and 41 RBI in 99 games. However, he has gone wild with the bat during the playoffs, going 10-22 (.455), with seven runs scored and four RBI. That includes recording four hits and scoring twice in the deciding Game 3 victory on Thursday. Bohanek is an excellent third baseman, and the team will take his hitting numbers in exchange for incredible defense at third.

Taylor Snyder was a late addition to the Monarchs and has been a huge catalyst to this team, hitting .300 with five homeruns and 14 RBI in 19 games. Snyder homered twice in the first round series against the Sioux Falls Canaries, and has eight hits in his first 20 at-bats (.400). He is also an excellent third baseman.

Advantage: Kansas City Monarchs

Shortstop

Josh Altmann was an MVP candidate after hitting .290 with 26 homers and 88 RBI. His RBI total was tied with Herrmann for tops in the league. Altmann also scored 73 runs and led the American Association with 57 extra-base hits. Altmann finished tied for second in triples (5), was second to Herrmann in total bases (222), and finished tied for second in home runs. He has not produced much in the postseason, hitting only .154 through the first six games, but it will only be a matter of time before his bat gets going.

LJ Hatch has a respectable bat, hitting .248 with 44 runs scored and 50 RBI in 95 games. He committed 14 errors during the regular season, but has great range and will deliver the clutch hit.

Advantage: Chicago Dogs

Outfield

The three primary outfielders for Chicago will be Nick Heath, Matt Bottcher, and Dylan Rosa. Interestingly enough, Rosa was acquired from Kansas City at the All-Star break. The outfielder hit .260 with seven homers and 17 RBI in 36 games in a Monarchs uniform, and hit .240 with 25 run scored and 27 RBI in 51 games for the Dogs. He finished with 13 homers total.

Heath hit .241 during the regular season, appearing in 68 games. He has struggled in the postseason (.120), striking out 13 times in 25 at bats. However, he delivered the game-tying sacrifice fly in the ninth on Thursday, and made a spectacular defensive play in the 10th. Heath stole 30 bases during the regular season to lead the Dogs. Bottcher was one of the best hitters in the American Association this season, hitting .323 with 68 runs scored, 13 homers, and 55 RBI in 95 games. He also stole 21 bases. Jesus Lujano will also see a lot of action. Lujano hit .294 with 38 runs scored and 35 RBI in 84 games.

The outfield is the strength of this Monarchs offense, although it has not been the case during the playoffs. Jan Hernandez had another great season, hitting .308 with 15 homers and 63 RBI in 74 games. Hernandez is a career .311 hitter in three seasons with Kansas City, clubbing 60 homers and driving in 206 in 212 games.

Jacob Robson is off to a slow start in the playoffs (.188, 4 RBI), and only hit .250 with 10 homers and 31 RBI in 69 games during the regular season. However, he is an on-base machine, walking 57 times to post a .398 on-base percentage, enabling him to score 52 runs. Micker Adolfo has struggled in the postseason as well, recording just one hit in 17 at bats. That hit was a three-run homer, however, and he is coming off a season where he hit .301 with 51 runs scored, 14 home runs, and 60 RBI in 80 games. Adolfo will hit.

Advantage: Kansas City Monarchs

Designated Hitter

Hobson has a deep bench, so he can use several players in the DH role to ensure that their bat remains in the lineup. The team would love to have Johnni Turbo playing outfield and Bottcher at the DH position, but he has not appeared in the playoffs yet. Ben Livorsi got the call that the DH last two games, and produced two hits in six at bats. Lujano will also fill the spot.

For Kansas City, the primary DH will be Odubel Herrera. Herrera was fantastic after joining the Monarchs, hitting .292 with 49 runs scored and 20 RBI in 55 games. He stole 15 bases and finished with a solid .362 on-base percentage. Herrera has only played in three games during the postseason, going 3-11 (.273).

Advantage: Kansas City Monarchs

Bench

Both managers have a deep bench and will use it. For the Dogs, it is a matter of who Hobson wants to rest as he has used a rotation of 11 different players during the playoffs. Lujano and Livorsi have split time as the DH and he has not turned to a pinch-hitter during the postseason, but the Dogs are still deep here should he have an injury or find that he needs to make a change.

Livorsi hit .298 during the regular season and will likely be the DH. General McArthur will likely be a late inning replacement and can pinch run, and Brennan Metzger could see some significant playing time as well. Metzger did not have a great regular season (.210, 36 R, 16 RBI, 56 Games), but he knows how to get on base and has a lot of playoff experience.

Kansas City used just 10 players through the first two rounds as Gavin Collins and Herrera split time at the DH position. Collins (.314, 38 R, 41 RBI) joins Andy Yerzy (.285, 5 R, 4 RBI, 12 Games) as the backups to Herrmann, but the top player in the league is not going to be sitting.

Advantage: Even

Starting Pitching

This is going to be one of the most interesting matchups in the Finals, as most of the starters joined the respective teams late in the season. Nick Green had a solid regular season, starting 18 games where he posted a 6-5 record and a 4.58 ERA. However, he has been nearly untouchable in the postseason, dominating his two starts where he has yielded just two earned runs in 13.2 innings (1.31 ERA), allowing eight hits and two walks while striking out 18. Green will go in Game 3.

Joe Wieland will be the Game 1 starter and has been spectacular since joining Chicago. In three starts in the regular season he posted a 1.76 ERA, striking out 24 in 15.1 innings. Wieland has made two starts in the postseason, posting a 3.27 ERA without a decision. Bryan Warzek will go in Game 2. He has not made an appearance in the playoffs, and only made three starts in the regular season. Do not be surprised if Chicago uses his start as a bullpen day. Steven Lacey will go in Game 4. The rookie appeared in eight games during the regular season, posting a 3.12 ERA.

Like Wieland for Chicago, the ace of the Kansas City staff is Ashton Goudeau, and he also only made three starts during the regular season, posting a 2.57 ERA. However, the right-hander has taken his game to an entirely different level in the postseason, and is yet to give up a run in his two starts. Goudeau has allowed eight hits and two walks while striking out nine in 13.0 innings.

Miller Hogan goes in Game 2. Hogan was very impressive during the regular season, appearing in 20 games, six starts, posting a 2-3 record with a 2.74 ERA. He gave up more hits than innings pitched (61 in 55.2 innings), but only walked 13. Hogan has a 3.11 ERA in the postseason. Zac Grotz only made two starts for the Monarchs during the regular season, but he made a solid impression, posting a 0.81 ERA in 11.0 innings. However, that ERA is deceiving, as he gave up seven total runs. Brandon Finnegan will likely go in Game 4. Finnegan had a 4.32 ERA and a 7-5 record in 19 starts.

Advantage: Kansas City Monarchs

Bullpen

Chicago would
seem to have the clear advantage, as they had arguably the best bullpen during the regular season. Joe Cavallaro, Jonathan Cheshire, and Jack Newberry all appeared in at least 19 games, and all three had ERAs under 3.00. Closer Brian Schlitter (3.24) and DJ Snelten (3.32) add to make this is an extremely formidable group. Trevor Lane looked good in his two postseason appearances as well, recording a save and earning the victory on Thursday. However, Schlitter struggled against the Milwaukee Milkmen, and may have lost his closer’s role for the Finals. The last thing a team wants is a shaky closer against a team like Kansas City.

The Kansas City bullpen was the biggest question mark surrounding this team, and they still may be a question mark of sorts. That is because the group was not used a lot in the first round, making just 15 total appearances in five games. The most important part is that Patrick Weigel and Bubby Rossman were both spectacular, combining to toss 7.0 innings, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out nine. Trey Jeans was the only one who had a bad outing, allowing four runs in 0.2 innings. Take away his outing, and the bullpen has allowed four earned runs in 15.2 innings pitched.

Advantage: Chicago Dogs

Manager

This is one of the most intriguing parts of the whole series. In the Chicago dugout is the winningest manager in independent history in Butch Hobson. Hobson has nearly 1600 victories in his time in in the Frontier League, Atlantic League, and the American Association. He also has managed in Major League Baseball, and is one of the most respected skippers in the sport.

This is the sixth season for Hobson running the Dogs, and he has winning records in four of those seasons. He has also won two regular-season division titles and won the Atlantic League championship in 2000 and the Can-Am League title in 2007. The resume is impressive to say the least.

In the other dugout will be Joe Calfapietra, who has taken the American Association by storm. Calfapietra has been a winner everywhere he has been, earning over 1200 victories and has just six losing seasons in 23 years. Calfapietra has won at least 57 games in each of his six seasons in the American Association, and has two league championships (2018, 2021).

Calfapietra is not only incredible in how he leads his team, but is recognized as one of the top skippers when it comes to building a roster. He has sent dozens of players back to affiliate ball in his six years, and always seems to find Major League talent to fill a need whenever it arises.

Advantage: Even

Who Wins?

Both teams have battled through a lot of adversity to get where they are today. Chicago faced four elimination games in this postseason, winning them all. That includes battling back to win three of those contests late, including the walk-off victory on Thursday. Kansas City has not been tested in this way, but they made one of the most improbable comebacks in American Association playoff history on Thursday when they battled back from a five-run deficit to advance to the Cup Finals.

While Chicago is getting solid starting pitching, and likely have the better of the two pitching staffs, they do not have someone like Goudeau. In addition, there has to be some concern about this bullpen as Schlitter is struggling. Weigel has looked untouchable, and Kansas City should be able to take one in Chicago, then come home and finish off the series.

It will be a great series, but a lot shorter than many think. Take Kansas City to win in four.

By Robert Pannier