West Michigan Notebook: 92 is the magic number

It hasn’t been done since 1997.

92 wins. The best record across all Major and minor league baseball. A .702 winning percentage, the best across all full-season minor league baseball since 1995. The 2025 West Michigan Whitecaps did everything that was asked of them and then some.

Second-year manager Tony Cappuccilli and his staff led a resilient roster through injury, player promotion, and constant transition to 23 wins with 10 or more runs scored and a pair of wins with 20+ runs scored.

Facing the Midwest League as a whole, West Michigan walked away with an absurd 294 run differential.

A storybook season for an exceptional roster, and now we look ahead to the postseason, where West Michigan will look to capture its first League title since 2015.

GAME 1 – West Michigan: 8, Fort Wayne: 5

To kick off the final series of the regular season, the West Michigan offense was ready to go. Austin Murr set the bar with a three-run shot in the first to mark his seventh home run of the season for West Michigan. At the bottom of the second, Jackson Strong went deep for the third time as a Whitecap to give West Michigan a 4-2 lead. Whitecaps’ starter Rayner Castillo worked five innings, surrendering three earned runs, a pair of walks, and struck out five. Multi-hit games for Murr, Jack Penney, Brett Callahan and Izaac Pacheco resulted in an 11-hit game one victory for West Michigan.

Jackson Strong jumps on the first pitch and uncorks a solo homer to right. It’s his 3rd with the Whitecaps and 8th overall this year. @ThatDanHasty and @wangler_nathan on the call. pic.twitter.com/BSljiqfOSs

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) September 2, 2025

GAME 2 – West Michigan: 8, Fort Wayne: 4

Eight runs felt so good in game one; the Whitecaps’ offense decided to give it a repeat performance. Joe Miller started the evening on the mound for West Michigan, working three innings, allowing one run and striking out five. Garrett Pennington and Austin Murr lead the Whitecaps at the plate with three-hit nights, including Murr’s fourth double of the year and a pair of RBI for Pennington to mark 16 RBI with West Michigan. A three-run first and a three-run second inning set the table for an eight-run campaign and another West Michigan win.

Garrett Pennington yanks an RBI double into the left corner to make it 6-1. @ThatDanHasty calls it. pic.twitter.com/cnjKkZVK3M

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) September 4, 2025

GAME 3 – West Michigan: 15, Fort Wayne: 2

Game three produced another dose of vintage West Michigan offense, and it proved to be a group effort at the plate. Jack Penney started the evening with a single to score both Bennett Lee and Woody Hadeen and give West Michigan a 2-0 lead. In the fourth, well…everybody contributed. Jackson Strong scored Garrett Pennington with his fourth High-A double, and Abel Bastidas punched his first High-A home run. Bastidas and Hadeen each posted a three-hit day, combining for seven RBI between them. In relief for the Whitecaps, Hayden Minton was fluid, working five innings of two-hit ball, walking one and striking out six. A 12-hit, 14-RBI campaign resulted in a 15-run route of the Fort Wayne TinCaps, and West Michigan secured their third straight win of the series.

Abel Bastidas absolutely destroys this pitch for a 3-run homer. It’s his 1st home run of the season, and his 1st at the High-A level. pic.twitter.com/Vi4PoIcUYR

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) September 4, 2025

GAME 4 – Fort Wayne: 6, West Michigan: 1

In Game Four, Fort Wayne looked to 20-year-old Maikel Miralles to face the West Michigan lineup, and much to the Whitecaps’ dismay, he did not disappoint. Over 6 ⅔ innings, Miralles worked a scoreless evening, allowing five hits and striking out six without a walk. Following an RBI single from Kasen Wells, Jonathan Vastine added a grand slam, and the TinCaps hit the ground running. The Whitecaps received multi-hit games from Abel Bastidas, Austin Murr, and Garrett Pennington, and Murr added his 42nd RBI of the season. West Michigan was able to avoid the shutout, thanks to a sacrifice fly from Austin Murr to score Izaac Pacheco, and the Whitecaps dropped their first game of the series to Fort Wayne.

Jackson Strong laying out!

🎙️: @ThatDanHasty pic.twitter.com/GlKWNVVDA4

— West Michigan Whitecaps (@wmwhitecaps) September 6, 2025

GAME 5 – West Michigan: 6, Fort Wayne: 1

Lucas Elissalt got the start for West Michigan in Game Five, with the Whitecaps moving one step closer to a franchise record in wins. Elissalt was fluid through three innings for the Whitecaps, allowing one run, a pair of walks, and striking out five. In the campaign, the 21-year-old picked up his 100th strikeout in his first professional season of 89 ⅔ innings. In relief, the rehabbing Dylan Smith worked a pair of innings, allowing one hit and striking out a pair in his second appearance of the series. In addition to doubles from Garrett Pennington and Abel Bastidas, Brett Callahan knocked his ninth home run of the season to score a pair. A 10-hit day for the Whitecaps was enough to lock in a win for West Michigan in Game Five.

Brett Callahan catapults a 3-run homer over the right field wall to put the Whitecaps up 5-1. @wangler_nathan on the call. pic.twitter.com/fkDBOt987z

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) September 7, 2025

GAME 6 – West Michigan: 5, Fort Wayne: 0

While the volume of West Michigan hits may not have rang as high in the series finale, it was the strategy of the hits submitted that made the difference for the Whitecaps. An RBI single from Andrew Jenkins to score Woody Hadeen put West Michigan on the board first to start the day. A ground-rule double from Archer Brookman scored Jackson Strong in the fifth, and the West Michigan lead continued to expand. At the bottom of the sixth, it was Jackson Strong again, this time with his fourth High-A home run of the season, giving West Michigan a 3-0 lead. Stolen bases from Woody Hadeen and Jack Penny were just a few of the ingredients needed for West Michigan to not only lock in the series win, but also tie the franchise record for wins with a final season record of 92-39 for the first time since 1997.

Andrew Jenkins hits a 2-out bouncer to 3rd and Woody Haddeen brazenly races home from 2nd base to put the Whitecaps up 1-0. pic.twitter.com/5xkOHeE3W9

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) September 7, 2025

Up Next: Welcome to the postseason! Tonight, the Whitecaps begin the best-of-three Division Series against the Lake County Captains in Eastlake, Ohio. West Michigan will return home for Game Two and (if needed) Game Three.

Pitcher of the Week: RHP Hayden Minton

Selected in the ninth round of the 2023 MLB draft, Hayden Minton has been on a quiet climb through the farm system to his first campaign with High-A West Michigan. Facing Fort Wayne, the 6’3, 210-pound righthander posted his strongest outing since August 8 with five scoreless frames. With improved arsenal mixing and some polish to his command could continue to propel the 24-year-old forward.He throws a four-seamer, sinker, changeup, slider and a curveball.

Player of the Week: OF Brett Callahan

Despite some displays early in the year to give a preview of Callahan’s abilities, the delay of injury and a positional-heavy roster didn’t allow a chance to see what Callahan could truly do until now. The 23-year-old missed nearly two months due to an injury suffered in May, but he’s made quick work to regain his position in the lineup for West Michigan. Over his last seven games with the Whitecaps, Callahan has hit in six of those seven, including four multi-hit games. In addition to a solid defensive resume, Callahan has shown some impressive power at the plate, and as that eye is fine-tuned, he is shaping up to be an interesting name to watch over the next few seasons.

Whitecap to Watch: INF Andrew Jenkins

Georgia Tech alum Andrew Jenkins has quietly positioned himself as one of the most clutch offensive performers of this 2025 West Michigan roster. In a farm system running a bit thin on first base prospects, the 24-year-old has been a steady presence at the first base corner, in addition to showing off a steady stream of offensive power. With Jenkins nearing the top end of the Midwest League average age bracket, a strong spring campaign should position him for consideration to make the move to the Eastern League for the 2026 season.