Goldeyes Streaking, RailCats Pull Ex-Big Leaguers: Ten Things to Know in the American Association of Professional Baseball This Week

Plesac, Martinez Acquisitions Boost Gary SouthShore, Goldeyes Third to String Together Double Digit Wins, Highlighting Week for the MLB Partner League

MOORHEAD, Minn., August 6, 2026 – A pair of former big leaguers now calling Gary SouthShore home and the third double-digit win streak by an American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) team this season (this time, Winnipeg) highlight happenings around the league this week. As the circuit enters the 30-games-remaining stretch, AAPB broadcasts are, as always, available free for live viewing on AABaseball.tv. 

Here are 10 (or so) Things to Know about the AAPB this week:

• Two weeks ago, the Winnipeg Goldeyes were, pardon the pun, floundering a few games under .500. But an 11-game win streak (improbably, the third double-digit string by an AAPB club this season!) has them solidly in playoff position. The skein matches the longest in team history, set in 2014.
• Superstud José Sermo continued his assault on AAPB pitchers in July, blasting 11 home runs, driving in 36 runs and posting a 1.516 POS to earn AAPB Rawlings Batter of the Month. Milwaukee’s Jhordany Mezquita won three games, pitching to a 1.88 ERA and fanning 24 to take Rawlings Pitcher of the Month honors.
• Gary SouthShore dipped into the former MLB player pool for the stretch run, with two key acquisitions this week:
  • Six-year big leaguer Zach Plesac, who won 27 games with Cleveland and the Los Angeles Angels from 2019-2024, made his debut with the RailCats on Sunday, tossing two perfect innings and whiffing two.
  • They also added former Florida Marlin, Sioux City Explorer and Cleburne Railroader Osvaldo Martinez. Martinez played in 34 games in the Bigs in 2010 and 2011, and slashed .291/.367/.381 in 93 games for the X’s in 2024, his last AAPB action.
• Stolen bases are a big weapon in the AAPB, and the Sioux City Explorers are at the forefront of the thievery. CF Austin Davis tied a league single-game record with five in his club’s 8-7 loss to Fargo-Moorhead Sunday. Davis now has 58 SB in 2026; the league record is 71 (Bryan Torres, Milwaukee, 2023). The X’s, after six more bags last night, are up to 217 steals this season, also within striking distance of the league record of 275 that they set last year.
• We previewed it here last week, and wrestling superstar Braun Strowman came through, assisting those affected by recent tornadoes in Wisconsin by leading a relief drive at Franklin Field last Thursday.
• Thursday’s Cancer Awareness Night in Sioux Falls will have extra special meaning to the Canaries team and fans, as the cause hits closer to home. Ryan Richardson, who pitched in 47 games for the club last year after four years with Kane County, was diagnosed with the disease in spring training 2026. Fans can bid now on special “Ribbons for Ryan” game-worn jerseys, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to Ryan.
• The Canaries will also hold their final Kids Camp of the season on Saturday from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Kids 11-14 receive two hours of professional instruction from their favorite Sioux Falls Canaries players, making it the perfect opportunity to sharpen their skills, have fun, and create lasting memories at the Birdcage.
• With about 30 games left in the AAPB season, the home run and RBI races are two-man affairs, and it happens to be the same two men. Joshua Mears of Lake Country (25 HR, 72 RBI) and José Sermo of Fargo-Moorhead (24 HR, 73 RBI)  battle it out in those two categories, while Mears’s .340 batting average puts him narrowly atop the league, keeping the triple crown alive for the DockHounds’ outfielder.
• Righthander Kevin Herget, who pitched for Fargo-Moorhead in 2021 and has pitched in parts of five seasons in the Majors, returned to MLB with the Mets, hurling a perfect inning at Citi Field against the Marlins on Saturday. He’s the 15th AAPB alum to play in a big-league game in 2026. He was subsequently returned to AAA Syracuse but remains in the mix for the team this season.
• Former Sioux Falls Canaries broadcaster J.P. Shadrick is the new play-by-play voice of the Arizona Cardinals, the team announced on Tuesday. Shadrick was the Canaries’ lead broadcaster and primary baseball information contact in 2005.
• Media interest in AAPB remains strong. Some of the recent articles on teams include:
  • The Winnipeg Free Press notes that Goldeyes pitcher Luke Boyd is “making [the] most out of his visit to Winnipeg.”
  • The Free Press also featured Goldeyes catcher Raphael Pelletier’s experience in haircutting that has transformed a corner of the clubhouse into a makeshift barber shop.
  • WSPYNews.com heralded local Plano, Illinois, standout Brendan Roberts’s pro debut with the Chicago Dogs on Tuesday. Roberts started game two of the doubleheader with Winnipeg, allowing two earned runs over 4 1/3 innings.
  • Canaries entertainer John Gaskins joined Dakota News Now to discuss the Sioux falls Canaries’ promotions including bobblehead giveaways and the team’s final Kids Camp of the year.
  • KTIV Ch. 4 in Sioux City profiled shortstop Nate Samson’s outsized role in helping the X’s become the first AAPB franchise to 1,000 wins.
• A few team promotions of note are: 
  • Friday’s “Happy Gilmore Night” in Sioux Falls celebrates the 30th anniversary (!) year of the golf-themed classic film.
  • Fargo-Moorhead hosts Minnesota State Moorhead Night at the Redhawks on Tuesday at Newman Outdoor Field, fortifying its partnership with the local Dragons, a member of NCAA Division II.
  • Thursday is “Throwback Night” in Kane County, with the first 1500 fans pulling a throwback jersey courtesy of Country Financial and appearance by 11-year big leaguer Scott Podsednik.
  • Winnipeg will also wear throwback Goldeyes jerseys on Thursday.
  • Gary SouthShore and Winnipeg will host Sensory Awareness games on Sunday and Wednesday, respectively. Each event features a sensory-friendly, inclusive environment, specialty team jerseys up for auction, and community resource vendors.
  • In that spirit, The Arc of Lincoln in partnership with The Autism Family Network is offering free tickets to the Saltdogs game on Friday at Haymarket Park. Tickets are FREE for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and their families.
  • Friday is Kansas Swiftie Monarchs Night, with in-game Eras parade, friendship bracelet exchange and more, which Monarchs backers and fans of a certain pop start know “all too well.”

About the American Association

The American Association of Professional Baseball (www.aabaseball.com) and (www.aabaseball.tv) is a Major League Baseball Partner League that operates in nine states and one Canadian province.  Formed in 2006, the league consists of twelve member clubs with many beginning play in 1993.  Through the 2025 season, 483 player contracts have been transferred to MLB organizations.  In addition, 60 AAPB alumni have reached the Majors, including 17 participating in 2025.

 

– AAPB –

 

Contact:

Joe Favorito, joefavorito2@gmail.com, 917-566-8345

Jerry Milani, jerry@jerrymilani.com, 917-797-5663