Articles Tagged: Cedar Rapids Kernels

The Cedar Rapids Kernels won the Midwest League Western Division first-half championship but went into Friday night’s July 4th home game against Quad Cities just 4-8 in the MWL’s second half. They haven’t played especially sound baseball, though Manager Brian Meyer pointed out every team has those spells in a long 132-game season.

A big birthday bash being planned for one of Eastern Iowa’s most iconic mascots will be both corny and conical.

Relief pitcher Hunter Hoopes has had a good season, getting promoted from low-Class A Fort Myers to the high-A Cedar Rapids Kernels in early June. He was signed by the parent Minnesota Twins in July 2024 after a video was posted to YouTube of him throwing a fastball 100 miles per hour as an instructor at Tread Athletics, a pitching training and development company in North Carolina.

Infielder-outfielder Brandon Winokur of the Cedar Rapids Kernels is just 20 years old, young for the high-Class A Midwest League. But you can see his talent, and he’s having his best month of the season here in June.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels lost Wednesday afternoon to South Bend, 4-1, at Veterans Memorial Stadium. They didn’t have many opportunities to steal bases, which has been a big weapon this season for them. They already have more swiped bags in 70 games than last season’s Kernels had in 132. And they are swiping them at an 88-percent clip.

Mercy Urology Clinic and Hall-Perrine Cancer Center are partnering with the Cedar Rapids Kernels to honor prostate cancer survivors and raise awareness about the disease during a special game at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 29, at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels clinched the first-half championship of the Midwest League Western Division with a Thursday double-header sweep at Beloit. They began the second half of the 132-game regular season Friday night secure in knowing they will be part of the MWL playoffs for the 11th time in 12 years as a Minnesota Twins affiliate.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels won a Thursday night double-header at Beloit, 2-0 and 5-4, to secure the Midwest League Western Division first-half championship and corresponding playoff berth at the end of the season. This is the 11th time in 12 seasons as a Minnesota Twins affiliate that the Kernels are postseason qualifiers.

Brian Meyer is in his first season as manager of the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Meyer’s wife, Ashley, and 6-year-old son Walker joined him from their home in Florida for the rest of the summer earlier this week. That made Father’s Day at the ballpark Sunday pretty special.

Catcher-first baseman Jaime Ferrer of the Cedar Rapids Kernels was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was just three years old. He always looked up to athletes who played their respective sports despite having the disease and now wants to be a role model of his own.

Chase Chaney of the Cedar Rapids Kernels threw a seven-inning complete-game shutout in Game 1 of Thursday afternoon’s double-header against Peoria. He is pitching of the hometown of his best baseball buddy Connor Van Scoyoc, the Cedar Rapids Jefferson grad now in Triple-A. The two were teammates and roommates for multiple years as member of the Los Angeles Angels organization.

Photos from the Cedar Rapids Kernels taking on the Peoria Chiefs at Veterans Memorial Stadium Wednesday, June 11, 2025

It has not been a smooth go so far this Midwest League baseball season for Cedar Rapids Kernels starting pitcher Ty Langenberg. The former University of Iowa hurler and Urbandale native had an 0-3 record and 7.79 ERA in nine starts. But he was terrific Wednesday afternoon, throwing six shutout innings to get the victory as his team blanked Peoria, 6-0.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels went into their home game Tuesday night against Peoria a half-game behind Quad Cities for first place in the Midwest League’s Western Division.A 7-6, 10-inning win coupled with a QC loss jumped C.R. into first place by a half-game. The Kernels have nine first-half games remaining.

Catcher-first baseman Nate Baez began this season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels as a part-time player at best. But the 12th-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2023 made so much of the opportunities he did get, he has forced his way into an everyday role and in the three or four hole in the lineup. He is second in the Midwest League in batting average and fourth in OPS.