We Are the Champions, My Friends

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – For the seventh time in their 32-year franchise history, the West Michigan Whitecaps are Midwest League Champions, as a pitcher’s duel went the way of the Whitecaps in a 3-1 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels Tuesday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Whitecaps take their first Midwest League title since 2015 and second straight in Cedar Rapids as pitcher Joe Miller tossed 5.2 innings of scoreless baseball before the bullpen covered the final 3.1 frames, paving the way to franchise history. With a combined record of 96-39, West Michigan ties the 2006 team for most total wins in a single season while securing its best single season winning percentage in franchise history (.711).

WATCH: WHITECAPS CLINCH SEVENTH TITLE IN FRANCHISE HISTORY

The best in the Midwest. Your 2025 Midwest League Champions 🏆💍 pic.twitter.com/nE5B9zV6aR

— West Michigan Whitecaps (@wmwhitecaps) September 17, 2025

“It’s incredible,” said Whitecaps manager Tony Cappuccilli, who collects his first title as a skipper and second as part of a coaching staff (AZL Dodgers, 2018). “Everything they’ve done this year is amazing, and they deserve to finish their season like this.”

The game began with the Whitecaps getting out of significant trouble in the first inning. After a leadoff triple by Kernels infielder Kyle DeBarge, the ‘Caps were able to deny the game’s first run when shortstop Woody Hadeen took a groundball and fired home to cut down the speedster who stole 66 bases during the regular season, keeping the contest in a scoreless tie. Coincidentally, a remarkably similar play gave the Whitecaps the lead in the third, when outfielder Brett Callahan chopped a grounder to approximately the same spot, but the Kernels couldn’t get the throw to home plate, leading to a run-scoring infield single to give West Michigan a 1-0 lead.

The score remained the same until the sixth, as Miller battled through a quartet of Minnesota Twins Top prospects before West Michigan plated a critical run when catcher Bennett Lee delivered an opposite-field RBI double to extend the lead to 2-0. The defensive stalwart saved his best offensive performance for the playoffs, hitting .308 with a .438 on-base percentage and .900 OPS in the Whitecaps four postseason contests.

“They were obviously pitching around Jackson [Strong] to try and get to me, which is the right call in that scenario,” said Lee. “I was looking for a slider, I got it and did exactly what I wanted to do with it. When it works out like that, it’s a really good thing.”

PHOTOS: WHITECAPS CELEBRATE 2025 MIDWEST LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

Moments to remember 💙 pic.twitter.com/orrhcGLakY

— West Michigan Whitecaps (@wmwhitecaps) September 17, 2025

In the bottom of the frame, Miller loaded the bases with two outs before giving way to reliever Colin Fields, who struck out Caden Kendle with four straight fastballs to end the threat. In the seventh, Cedar Rapids put two more runners on base before reliever Dariel Fregio retired Kernels catcher and Twins top prospect Eduardo Tait on a groundball to second base to end the inning.

In the eighth, the Whitecaps plated a crucial insurance run when Callahan scored on a ball that eluded Kernels catcher Poncho Ruiz, extending the advantage to 3-0. The bottom of the inning saw Cedar Rapids score its only run on a wild pitch and load the bases against reliever Moises Rodriguez before fellow righty Carlos Lequerica entered with the ‘Caps leading 3-1 with one out and induced an inning-ending, season-saving, around-the-horn double play to end the threat. In the three innings preceding the ninth, the Kernels stranded eight runners on-base.

The ninth inning featured pitcher Marco Jimenez, one of the best closers in the Midwest League, coming on to pick up the final three outs. Nearly ten years ago to the day, the Whitecaps clinched their last Midwest League title, also in Cedar Rapids, and with a pitcher with the same surname as former ‘Cap Joe Jimenez, now pitching for the Atlanta Braves. After retiring DeBarge on strikes to open the frame, Marek Houston lined out to right field to bring Tait to the plate with two outs. On a 1-2 pitch, Jimenez launched a fastball that concluded with a swing and miss, sending the Whitecaps to their seventh championship in 32 years – more than any other Midwest League team since the ‘Caps were founded in 1994.

“When Denny [Baxter] and I started out, we couldn’t even envision Year 2,” said Whitecaps co-founder Lew Chamberlin. “To now be in Year 32, with seven championships, and the millions of fans who have graced our ballpark to support this team, this has been beyond our wildest expectations.”

The Whitecaps win this best-of-three series, two games to none, while finishing with an undefeated 4-0 record in the postseason. Miller gets his second playoff win while Jimenez collects his second save in his past two games. Kernels starter Ty Langenberg suffers the loss despite giving up just one run in 4.2 innings. West Michigan pitchers stranded 11 runners on base, while holding the Kernels hitless in ten at-bats with runners in scoring position. On the offensive end, Callahan and infielder Peyton Graham, who finished with a team-best .412 postseason batting average and 1.062 OPS, each finished with a pair of hits in the clincher.

“This team has been more dominant than almost any Minor League team ever,” said Cappuccilli. To finish this season with a ring is exactly what these guys deserve.”

UP NEXT

The Whitecaps have concluded the 2025 season and look forward to hanging their latest championship banner in 2026, scheduled to begin on Friday, April 3, against the Lake County Captains in an Eastern Division Championship rematch from Classic Park. The home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, against the Great Lakes Loons from LMCU Ballpark. Whitecaps 2025 Championship merchandise is now available inside the ‘CapSized’ shop, located inside the ballpark, or online, where you can get all the latest Whitecaps off-season news at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

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