West Michigan Notebook Week 21:

At this point in a historic season, there is no creative way left to say it.

Simply put, the West Michigan Whitecaps have dominated the Midwest League, and when you question if they have another win in their back pocket, they take the challenge and find another way to excel.

At 84-32, the Whitecaps currently lead all of MLB and MiLB for most wins this season, as well as leading both leagues with a .706 winning percentage.

After winning their last seven straight games and 10 of their last 12 overall, the Whitecaps are now eight games shy of tying their organization-best 92 wins set in 1997 with 12 games remaining in the regular season.

GAME 1 – West Michigan: 6, Lansing: 1

Kicking off another series against their in-state rival, the Lansing Lugnuts, the West Michigan offense found a way, as they generally do, to go to work quickly. Scoring five unanswered runs between the second and fourth innings, Jackson Strong booked his first Midwest League home run in the fourth to give the Whitecaps a 5-0 lead. Lucas Elissalt got the start for West Michigan, working five scoreless frames without a walk and striking out a pair. Elissalt’s strong campaign was able to hold off the Lansing offense and secure his first Midwest League win.

Jackson Strong turns on this pitch for a solo home run to right. It’s his 1st homer with the Whitecaps, and his 6th overall this year. @wangler_nathan on the call. pic.twitter.com/wQgDfX3tAi

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 19, 2025

GAME 2 – West Michigan: 2, Lansing: 1

Game two proved to be a tighter contest as the rehabbing Lael Lockhart took the hill for the Whitecaps at LMCU Ballpark. Lockhart, who has been assigned to Triple-A Toledo, prior to his rehab campaign, worked 3 ⅔ scoreless innings, allowing three hits, a pair of walks, and striking out five. Archer Brookman placed West Michigan on the board with his second Midwest League home run of the season in the fifth inning. The Lugnuts tied up the night at one a piece with an RBI single in the eighth, but it was a sacrifice fly by Austin Murr in the ninth to score Izaac Pacheco, and just like that, the Whitecaps tacked on ANOTHER walk-off win.

🚨Whitecaps Walk-Off Win🚨

Austin Murr with a sac fly to center that scores Izaac Pacheco and gives West Michigan a 2-1 victory. @ThatDanHasty on the call. pic.twitter.com/p0vQ6ZAUad

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 21, 2025

GAME 3 – West Michigan: 6, Lansing: 1

Not to wash, rinse, and repeat, but it doesn’t leave much choice when Izaac Pacheco continues to tear up opposing pitching at the plate. The 22-year-old started the night for West Michigan with his 23rd double of the season to score Jack Penney, and West Michigan got an early lead at the bottom of the first. At the bottom of the fourth, it was Pacheco again, this time with his 14th home run of the season, and West Michigan was up 2-0. With the Whitecaps adding another four runs behind six scoreless frames from West Michigan starter Rayner Castillo, the ‘Caps locked in a third straight win in the series.

PACHECOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

🎙️ @wangler_nathan pic.twitter.com/MRkQbzThxg

— West Michigan Whitecaps (@wmwhitecaps) August 21, 2025

GAME 4 – West Michigan: 3, Lansing: 2

There’s just something about extra innings this season for this West Michigan roster.

Nicknamed the “Cardiac ‘Caps” for their MANY walk-off wins already this season, West Michigan apparently thought adding another one for good measure was in order. After Lansing took a 1-0 lead in the third, West Michigan answered back in the sixth with an RBI single from Andrew Jenkins and a sacrifice fly from Brett Callahan to give West Michigan a 2-1 lead. West Michigan starter Joe Miller held the Lugnuts to one run over his five innings of work, adding five strikeouts on the night. Lansing again tied it up at the top of the ninth with an RBI single of their own, and fast forward to the 10th, where a sacrifice fly from Peyton Graham to score Patrick Lee gave the Whitecaps another signature walk-off in extras.

🚨Whitecaps Walk-Off Win🚨

Peyton Graham drives a sac fly to left and West Michigan wins 3-2 in the 10th. @ThatDanHasty calls it. pic.twitter.com/70iT9mUD6g

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 23, 2025

GAME 5 – West Michigan: 3, Lansing: 0

In game five, the offensive contact was slim. Between the two clubs, a combined eight hits were produced on the day, but for the Whitecaps, their four hits proved valuable. On the hill for West Michigan, Preston Howey, who has moved into a vital starting role for the West Michigan rotation, worked five scoreless innings for the ‘Caps, walking a pair and striking out three. At the bottom of the first, Peyton Graham found yet another way to contribute offensively with his 23rd double of the season, followed up by scoring off a wild pitch to give West Michigan a 2-0 lead. At the bottom of the third, it was Jack Penney with his fifth home run of the season to give West Michigan a 3-0 edge, and that proved enough to give the ‘Caps their fifth straight win for the series against the Lugnuts.

Jack Penney launches a solo homer to right center to put West Michigan up 3-0. @ThatDanHasty on the call. pic.twitter.com/VgES2FRFjf

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 23, 2025

GAME 6 – West Michigan: 16, Lansing: 0

Give the West Michigan offense an inch, and they take a mile, because who doesn’t love a good series sweep? Lucas Elissalt was back on the hill for the Whitecaps and again contributed a scoreless campaign with 3 ⅓ scoreless innings, bringing his scoreless streak to 8 ⅓ frames combined. At the plate, five West Michigan hitters posted multi-hit games, including three-hit afternoons for Woody Hadeen, Brett Callahan, and Garrett Pennington. There were home runs for everyone, including Woody Hadeen’s first Midwest League home run, Brett Callahan’s seventh, Izaac Pacheco’s 15th, Garrett Pennington’s second, Patrick Lee’s fourth, and Jackson Strong’s second of the season for West Michigan. The six individual home runs tied a franchise record for the most individual home runs hit in a single game. The ‘Caps combined for 17 hits, including seven extra-base hits and 15 RBI. At the conclusion of their final series with the Lugnuts, West Michigan outscored the Lugnuts 137-45 over 21 games in 2025.

Brett Callahan smokes a 3-run homer to right and it’s an 8-run inning for West Michigan. It’s Callahan’s 7th home run of the year. @ThatDanHasty on the call. pic.twitter.com/nbmIlLIFPJ

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 24, 2025

Up Next: Tonight, the Whitecaps begin their final road series of the regular season against their division rivals, the Great Lakes Loons, who currently sit a half-game out of second place from the Lake County Captains.

Pitcher of the Week: RHP Lucas Elissalt

After a collection of key roster moves for the Whitecaps, the addition of Lucas Elissalt was just what the West Michigan roster was looking to add. Since his promotion from Class-A Lakeland on August 5, the 21-year-old righthander has only allowed three earned runs and has struck out 14 over his first 18 ⅓ frames for West Michigan.

Player of the Week: INF Woody Hadeen

While Woody Hadeen’s introduction to the Midwest League was a quieter one, the 23-year-old has begun to find his offensive footing, and progress speaks for itself. After just seven hits over his first 14 games with West Michigan in July, the California native is having a time in August. Over 17 games, Hadeen is slashing .311/.382/.410 with his first Midwest League home run. Utilizing his speed on both sides of the ball, Hadeen has stepped in to fill an infield gap left by John Peck and Kevin McGonigle, and as the humidity continues to drop, we expect to continue seeing solid work from the west coast kid.

Whitecap to Watch: OF Jackson Strong

One of the intriguing names to watch in the wave of Tigers’ minor league outfielders, Buffalo, New York native Jackson Strong, is already making the most of his time in West Michigan. A self-proclaimed routine junkie, the 22-year-old hasn’t been one to let a quiet stretch at the plate derail him from the bigger picture. Facing the Lansing Lugnuts, Strong posted a pair of multi-hit games, including his first and second Midwest League home runs.