KC Monarchs Update: July 28, 2023
Kansas City Monarchs infielder Justin Wylie fist bumps third-base coach Bill Sobbe after hitting a home run in the Monarchs’ game with the Kane County Cougars on Tuesday, July 25, 2023 from Legends Field. Photo: Madison Riebel / Kansas City Monarchs
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Justin Wylie etched his name into history for the Kansas City Monarchs Thursday afternoon.
The All-Star infielder hit for the cycle Thursday in the Monarchs’ game with Kane County. His day began with a single and an RBI double.
He’d blast his eighth home run in the fifth and finished his feat with an RBI triple in the eighth inning.
Wylie, who played college baseball at San Diego State and Arizona, is in his fourth professional season.
Still looking for his first chance in affiliated baseball, Wylie is the only player in the Monarchs’ lineup that hasn’t played in Triple-A or higher. Yet he’s become a regular in the second spot of Joe Calfapietra’s batting order.
Wylie now ranks second on the Monarchs with a .920 OPS, trailing only MLB veteran and Player of the Year candidate Chris Herrmann.
Over his last six games, Wylie is batting .500 (12-for-24) with three home runs and six RBIs.
HERRMANN MAKING P.O.Y. PUSH
The chase for the American Association’s player of the year award is on for Chris Herrmann. With a little more than a month left in the regular season, “The Herrmannator” is among the league leaders in multiple batting categories.
The former Twins and Diamondbacks backstop currently sits first in RBIs (63), tied for fifth in home runs (16), and fourth in batting average (.335).
The Monarchs franchise hasn’t had a league player of the year since 2004, when they were called the T-Bones and played in the Northern League.
BOUNCE-BACK SERIES?
Kansas City heads into the weekend looking to shake off a bit of a slump. The Monarchs are 1-4 since the American Association All-Star break. Three of those losses have come by just one run.
The Monarchs’ pursuers in the American Association West have also stumbled, meaning Kansas City still has a 4.5-game lead for first place in the division. They’re going for their fourth division title in as many seasons.
Sioux City is next on the Monarchs’ schedule; the teams start a three-game weekend series Friday night at 7 p.m.
The Explorers are 32-34 and have lost their last six. Still, they’ve had Kansas City’s number this season, winning five out of six. That includes a three-game sweep of Kansas City the last time the Monarchs visited Sioux City at the very beginning of the season.
All-Star right-hander Jalen Miller will start Kansas City’s series opener Friday. Miller ranks fifth in the American Association with a 3.39 ERA. Fans can find streaming information at MonarchsBaseball.com/Live.
