1. Chicago Dogs (23-17, 1st, East)
Record last week: 2-1 @ Milwaukee, 3-0 vs. Gary SouthShore
From the bottom of this list to the top, Chicago has surged to the top of the East division by winning 10 of their last 13 games including the last four in a row. The pitching staff, led by Connor Curlis’ 2.42 ERA and 56 strikeouts (both top 10 in the league) has really stepped up. They’ve held opponents to two runs or less five times in that stretch of games. They’ve set up an awesome matchup to start the week against the hottest team in the West in Sioux Falls.
2. Sioux Falls Canaries (23-17, 3rd, West)
Record last week: 1-2 @ Winnipeg, 3-0 vs. Fargo-Moorhead
The Canaries bounced back over the weekend with a sweep of the RedHawks after falling in a series in Winnipeg. Similar to Chicago, the pitching staff stepped up, holding the RedHawks to one run or less in two of the three games. Overall, the Canaries are 14-4 in their last 18 games, bouncing back after a tough start to the season to show they are here to contend once again in 2025.
3. Kansas City Monarchs (25-13, 1st, West)
Record last week: 0-3 @ Cleburne, 3-0 vs. Cleburne
Kansas City drops a few spots after splitting their six game home-and-home against Cleburne. The Monarchs had dropped four games in a row before bouncing back at home with three big wins over the weekend, largely thanks to the offense providing 19 runs across the three games. While that offense is still one of the best in the league, the pitching staff has slipped in recent weeks down to 4th in team ERA (4.00) and 6th in batting average against (.250).
4. Sioux City Explorers (25-16, 2nd, West)
Record last week: 2-1 @ Fargo-Moorhead, 1-2 @ Winnipeg
A tough extra-inning loss on Saturday followed by a 12-4 blowout on Sunday in Winnipeg cost the Explorers a chance at a winning road trip. When Sioux City can put some runs on the board, they have a great chance to win with their pitching staff that sits 2nd in the league in team ERA (3.72), but at times the lack of offense has led to some close, low-scoring contests that can go either way. The Explorers now welcome Winnipeg to Sioux City before another Siouxland showdown over the weekend.
5. Lake Country DockHounds (21-17, 2nd, East)
Record last week: 1-2 @ Lincoln, 2-1 vs. Milwaukee
The DockHounds now look up at Chicago in the East after the Dogs’ strong week and Lake Country going an even 3-3. It was a very hot Wisconsin weekend in a hitter-friendly ballpark and the box scores reflect that, with a combined 48 runs scored across the three games, with a margin of just two runs in each of the latter two contests. Despite that, Lake Country still sits atop the league in team ERA (3.35) and they’ll need to step up this week as they head down south to Cleburne for a six-game series.
