photo: Peoria Chiefs
The Peoria Chiefs returned to the High-A Midwest League playoffs for the first time since 2018. Pitching was the strength in 2023, with the bullpen performing as well as the standout starters, led by MWL Pitcher of the Year Ian Bedell.
By Kinsley Reliford and Brian Walton
Though Peoria finished in second place in both the first and second halves of the 2023 season, they reached the Midwest League West Division Series because Cedar Rapids (Min) won both halves. It was the Chiefs first playoff berth since 2018.
After a 33-33 first half in which they finished seven games behind the Kernels, the Chiefs improved to 36-30 in the second half, six games back of Cedar Rapids. Though the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Mil) also went 36-30, the Chiefs prevailed in the tie breaker.
In the 132 games played during regular season, the Cardinals High-A affiliate won 69 compared to 63 losses (.523). This was an improvement over 2022, during which the Chiefs won 13 fewer games and finished well below .500 (.424).
Facing the Kernels in the Division Series, the Chiefs won the opener of the best of three before losing Games 2 and 3.
Season summary
Opening week against Cedar Rapids, Peoria had both a rough start to the season and a preview of what would be ahead, going 0-3 at Dozer Park.
Throughout 2023, Cedar Rapids proved to be the Chiefs’ toughest opponent, with the Kernels winning 15 of their 21 head-to-head games during the regular season. Still, many games were close, with 12 decided by just one run. The Kernels finished off their dominance by winning their final two home games in Games 2 and 3 of the Division Series over the Chiefs by scores of 9-4 and 9-3, respectively.
The Chiefs scored a total of 594 runs during the regular season, ranking seventh of 12 Midwest League teams, while giving up the third fewest (tied), 580, for a +14 run differential.
At Dozer Park, the Chiefs were 10 games over .500 (38-28) but on the road were 31-35. Peoria did not fare well against winning opponents, going just 21-30 in those contests.
Perhaps the Chiefs’ greatest strength was their results in close games. Peoria was 31-20 in one-run contests, the most wins by any team in those situations in Minor League Baseball since 2019.
League Stats
Peoria pitching was their strong point, finishing second of 12 Midwest League teams with a 3.84 ERA, the Chiefs’ best mark since 2018. They were ninth in strikeouts but issued the third fewest walks. The High-A affiliate had a season batting average against of .242, tied for just sixth in the league, but the lowest for a Peoria staff since 2019.
Breaking down the pitching results, the starters’ ERA of 3.90 was sixth in the league. They were eighth in strikeouts and gave the fourth fewest walks.
The relievers were even better, with a 3.78 ERA that was third lowest in the MWL. The bullpen was just ninth in strikeouts but issued the fewest free passes in the league. Despite the low relief ERA and the team’s success in one-run games, the pen blew 26 save opportunities and converted 34 saves.
The Chiefs offense was below the middle of the MWL pack, seventh in runs scored. Peoria team was fourth in hits, sixth in doubles and fifth in triples, However, they lacked the long ball punch with a home run total of 85 that was 11th of 12 teams. Thanks in a large part to the first half success of Victor Scott (50 steals), the Chiefs swiped 179 bases, third-most in the league and the third most in team history.
Peoria hitters had the fewest strikeouts in the league (1009) but also took the third fewest walks (439). Their slash stats were .243 (fifth) / .324 (eighth) / .363 (eighth) / .687 (eighth).
The Chiefs defense committed 108 errors in their 132 games, fifth most in the league. Led by All-Star catcher Jimmy Crooks, their caught stealing rate of 29% (45 of 155) was the best in the MWL and their total of 299 double plays was second-most.
All-Stars
Three Chiefs were named to the Midwest League All-Star Team with Ian Bedell earning Pitcher of the Year honors. Catcher Jimmy Crooks and center fielder Victor Scott joined Bedell on the team. Peoria’s three selections were second most among MWL clubs.
Bedell, 25, made 27 appearances and turned in a 4-2 record with a 2.44 earned run average, the lowest among any MWL pitcher with at least 95 innings thrown. The right-hander fanned 10.0 batters per nine innings.
Crooks, 22, was the Midwest League Player of the Month for August. Over 24 games, the backstop slashed .379/.427/.611/1.038. Crooks finished the year with 73 RBI, tied for second most in the MWL and most by any Chief since 2019.
Scott was promoted to Springfield on June 27, but the speedster made a huge impact over his 66 contests with Peoria. Scott hit .282 and swiped 50 bases, the most in a single season since 2016 and tied for sixth on the team’s all-time single-season list. His 95 steals for the season between Peoria and Springfield put him atop the MiLB leaderboard.
Player moves
As noted, the High-A affiliate excelled in pitching this season, with Cooper Hjerpe and Tink Hence notably standing out, though neither were active with the Chiefs for the entire season.
Despite only making 10 appearances during the season due to injury, Hjerpe struck out 11.2 batters per nine innings and logged a rotation-low .183 batting average against, finishing with a 3.51 ERA.
Another notable pitcher who began the season with the Chiefs is Tink Hence. The 6’1” right-hander threw 41 2/3 innings over 11 starts and struck out 46 batters while registering a 2.81 ERA. The 21-year-old earned a promotion to the Springfield Cardinals on July 10, just after appearing in the MLB All-Star Futures Game.
Promotions late in the season included starter Max Rajcic and reliever Edwin Nunez who were assigned to Springfield. Catcher Jimmy Crooks and infielder Brody Moore received a brief taste of Triple-A ball with Memphis.
With the season ending, the Cardinals released six players from the Chiefs roster: RHP Edgar Manzo, 3B Francisco Hernandez, LHP Chris Gerard, RHP Matt Hickey, CF Tyler Reichenborn and 1B Thomas Francisco.
What is next?
More details are coming on the Chiefs’ top hitters, relievers and starting pitchers are coming as we select the best of the best in upcoming articles in this series.
Check out The Cardinal Nation’s annual article series highlighting team results and top hitters and pitchers across the entire St. Louis Cardinals system. The Dominican Summer League Cardinals Relief Pitcher of the Year is next up, exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation.
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