2025 Peoria Chiefs Player of the YearJon Jon Gazdar led the High-A Cardinals affiliate in hits, batting average, total bases and lowest strikeout rate. The 23-year-old infielder’s statistics and consistency earned him The Cardinal Nation’s 2025 Peoria Chiefs Player of the Year award.
2025 Peoria Chiefs Starting Pitcher of the YearCade Winquest is The Cardinal Nation’s 2025 Peoria Chiefs Starting Pitcher of the Year. In the Midwest League, the right-handed Texan threw 63 ⅔ innings, 51 ⅓ as a starter, and posted a 4.52 ERA, lowest among qualifying rotation members.
2025 Peoria Chiefs Reliever of the YearMichael Watson is The Cardinal Nation’s 2025 Peoria Chiefs Relief Pitcher of the Year. The 23-year-old lefty had a solid run in High-A, picking up three saves and sporting a .164 batting average against.
photo: Braden Davis (Peoria Chiefs)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ High-A Peoria Chiefs had a rough time from April to September, finishing just under .400. While the offense had its moments, the pitching staff struggled, as 22 hurlers ended the season with an ERA of four or more. Lefty Braden Davis shined after his promotion from Palm Beach.
The Season
The Chiefs started the year 6-16 through April and continued this form throughout the season. At the end of the first half, Peoria had a 26-39 record, 13 ½ games behind Cedar Rapids (MIN). The Chiefs were in fifth place in the six-team Midwest League West Division.
The second half of the season for manager Roberto Espinoza and team was one game worse, as they went 25-40, this time finishing 13 games behind Beloit (MIA), again in fifth place.
Their overall record of 51-79 was worst in the division.
League Stats
Peoria ended in the middle of the pack of the 12-team MWL in most offensive stats, starting with 1048 hits and 617 runs, fourth and fifth, respectively. Of those hits, 196 were doubles, 19 were triples and 68 were home runs.
The team struck out 990 times, second fewest, took a free base 538 times (sixth) and stole a base 177 times (seventh) in 247 attempts. To summarize, the Chiefs had a .247 batting average, which was third in the league, and their .695 OPS was fifth, making their offense one of the better ones in the league.
Meanwhile, the pitching side was rough. Their 4.83 ERA was last in the entire league as was their 1.49 WHIP. While they gave up 1004 hits, only seventh, the team issued the second-most walks with 656 and put 92 more batters on base after hitting them with a pitch.
While their BA against of .241 was sixth best, the Chiefs pitchers put too many batters on base without the benefit of a hit and they paid for it.
Surprisingly, the cumulative ERA of the starters was a very high 5.45, last in the league, while the bullpen ranked in the middle of the pack, seventh at 4.33.
Coaching Staff
Roberto Espinoza: Espinoza took the reins as Peoria manager after spending four years with the Florida Complex League Cardinals. In his first season, his Chiefs team won 51 games of 130. Their .392 winning percentage was Peoria’s worst since 2021. So, it was not the best of results, but certainly something to build upon.
It is worth noting that the subpar results are not new. The Chiefs have missed the playoffs in five of the last six years, finishing over .500 only in 2023, when they lost in the first round.
Will Hawks: In Hawks’ first year as pitching coach, the bullpen and especially the rotation were not a team strength. The team ERA dropped by more than a run year-to-year, from 3.81 in 2024 to 4.83 in 2025.
Elvis Rodriguez: This was Rodriguez’s second year in Peoria as hitting coach, and based on last season’s offense, the former Astros organization coach made some improvements this time around. Even considering the last-place finish, Chiefs batters seemed much more comfortable at the plate than years past.
Luis Arenado: Espinoza brought Arenado along with him as the bench coach after serving two years on the FCL Cardinals. Fans saw a lot of Arenado at first base when the Chiefs were hitting.
Player Movement
While these players didn’t spend all season with Peoria, they certainly impressed while they were there. All three are a part of our Top 50 Cardinals Prospects and all started 2025 at Dozer Park.
Joshua Baez: Before his successful campaign at Springfield, Baez experienced success at the High-A level, playing 38 games. The Dominican-American outfielder picked up 46 hits and 24 RBIs in his first two months with the ballclub, earning him promotion to Double-A and multiple Texas League awards followed.
Cade Winquest: While his ERA was a little below the team average at 4.52, Winquest was one of the Peoria’s most reliable starting pitchers. Before he was promoted to Double-A during the All-Star break, Winquest went 2-6 in 17 games, striking out 68 batters but also giving up 63 hits and 38 runs. The former eighth-round pick improved in his eight Texas League starts with a 3.19 ERA and has a bright future ahead.
Hancel Rincon: Rincon also spent two months in central Illinois, going 1-2 with a 4.22 ERA. Like Winquest, his stats aren’t as impressive as others in the Midwest League, but when watching Rincon in person, he showed his true prowess on the mound. The Dominican righty spent August and September on the injured list at Springfield.
Among those joining the team at the trade deadline were right-handed starting pitchers Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt from the Mets, lefty Mason Molina from the Rangers and infielder Jesus Baez, also from the Mets system.
Those moving upward from Palm Beach to join Peoria during the summer include first baseman-catcher Josh Kross, pitchers Brandt Thompson and Jason Savacool, catcher Rainiel Rodriguez, infielder Deniel Ortiz and outfielder Travis Honeyman.
From the 2025 draft class, pitcher Tanner Franklin briefly appeared with Peoria. The right-hander is expected to open 2026 with the Chiefs.
Award Winners
Weekly and monthly awards were relatively scarce for Chiefs players in 2025, but two players received recognition.
Second-half addition Braden Davis received the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week honors in late July-early August.
The first-year lefty was also the organization’s July Pitcher of the Month, making his final two starts with the Chiefs after three outings with Palm Beach prior to his promotion.
Davis went on to post a strong 2.21 ERA in his eight starts with the Chiefs to conclude the season.
On the offensive side, another later promotion from Palm Beach, infielder Deniel Ortiz, was the MWL Player of the Week to conclude August.
Midwest League All-Stars
No member of the Peoria Chiefs in the 2025 season received a Midwest League All-Star berth, the fourth time in five years that the Chiefs were passed over in league-wide recognition.
TCN Top Prospects
Dozer Park was home to many of The Cardinal Nation’s top 50 prospects throughout the year. They include #11 Jesus Baez, #16 Deniel Ortiz, #21 Braden Davis, #24 Nate Dohm and #26 Travis Honeyman.
What is next?
In the coming weeks, we will reveal the Chiefs’ best hitters, starting pitchers and relievers, as well as the best of the best from every team in the Cardinals farm system.
Next, the 2025 Memphis Redbirds Season Review will be released, so be on the lookout for that.
The full schedule for The Cardinal Nation’s annual article series highlighting team results and top hitters and pitchers across the St. Louis Cardinals system can be found in the following article. After our free Team Recaps across affiliates, we will recognize individual player leaders through the current month and into November.
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Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 23A week after sweeping South Bend (CHC), the High-A Chiefs won only one game vs. Beloit (MIA) in their final series of the season. C Rainiel Rodriguez began his Peoria tenure strongly, going 5-for-17 (.294) including a double and four RBI in four games.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 22A week after being swept by Dayton (CIN), the High-A Chiefs swept South Bend (CHC) at home before losing to Beloit (MIA) on Tuesday. IF Deniel Ortiz was named Midwest League Player of the Week after going 8-for-17 (.471) including a home run and seven RBIs.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 21The High-A Chiefs ended their road trip to Ohio on a six-game losing streak before winning Tuesday over rival South Bend (CHC). Infielder Deniel Ortiz led the offense, going 11-for-19 (.579) including two doubles and a home run.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 20The High-A Chiefs had a rough week, winning only one of six vs. Lake County (CLE) and Dayton (CIN). OF Ian Petrutz led the offense, going 9-for-20 (.450) with three RBIs.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 19The High-A Chiefs went 2-3 last week vs. Wisconsin (MIL) and Lake County (CLE). Catcher Ryan Campos led the offense, going 5-for-13 (.385) including three doubles.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 18In Week 18, the High-A Chiefs had two wins, both in extra innings, and four losses. Outfielder Zach Levenson went 7-for-17 (.412) with an OPS of 1.171.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 17The High-A Chiefs lost four of six games to West Michigan (DET) and Beloit (MIA). Infielder Tre Richardson led Peoria offensively, going 7-for-20 (.350) including three doubles and two stolen bases, and hot-hitting Deniel Ortiz joined from Palm Beach.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 16The Peoria Chiefs are 2-2 in the Midwest League since the All-Star Break. Outfielder Ian Petrutz led the team in batting average for the week at .357 and OPS at 1.114.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 15Heading into the All-Star break, the High-A Chiefs were swept in six at home and have lost seven straight. Catcher/first baseman Josh Kross batted .350 including three doubles and drove in five. The struggling rotation receives two reinforcements.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 14The High-A Chiefs had one of their best weeks of the season, winning four of five games and are just one game out of first place. Outfielder Zach Levenson led the offense, going 8-for-17 (.471) with four RBIs.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 13The High-A Chiefs won four of their last six matchups against Beloit (MIA) and South Bend (CHC) and are 5-5 in the second half. Infielder Miguel Villarroel led Peoria at the plate, going 6-for-17, .353.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 12The High-A Peoria Chiefs put up just one win in their last five games against Great Lakes (LAD) and Beloit (MIA). Brayden Jobert and Jon Jon Gazdar both lead the team offensively with seven hits each.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook — 2025 Week 11The High-A Chiefs won two of their last seven games and were shut out three times. The schedule will soon reset with the first half ending on Thursday. Infielder Jon Jon Gazdar led the Peoria offense this week, batting .550 (11-for-20).
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 10The High-A Chiefs had one of their best weeks to date, winning five of their last six against Quad Cities (KC) and Cedar Rapids (MIN). Infielder Tre Richardson led the way at the plate, going an impressive 13-for-25 (.520).
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 9The High-A Chiefs finished off their campaign against Wisconsin (MIL) and started a new one against Quad Cities (KC). Three batters on the team each had five hits over the past seven days, including outfielders Won-Bin Cho, Brayden Jobert and Zach Levenson.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 8The High-A Chiefs went 2-4, including three one-run losses against Dayton (CIN) and Wisconsin (MIL). Infielder Jon Jon Gazdar led the team in hits for the first time this season, going 8-for-22 (.364) over five games.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 7The High-A Chiefs tied their best week of the season, going 4-2 against Cedar Rapids (MIN) and Dayton (CIN). Going 13-for-22 (.591), outfielder Joshua Baez led Peoria in hits while the improving bullpen arms were credited with all four wins.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 6The High-A Chiefs had one of their best weeks of the season, winning four of six games. With an impressive .471 average, infielder Trey Paige led the team offensively while the improving rotation earned three wins.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 5Playing at home, the High-A Chiefs went 2-4 last week, dropping their season record to 8-19. Hitting .375 for the period, outfielder Joshua Baez paced the offense while Hancel Rincon led the rotation.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 4The 6-15 High-A Peoria Chiefs finished Week 4 with a record of 2-4 against Quad Cities and Beloit. Outfielder Joshua Baez went 5-for-17 (.294) while driving in four runs, but the rest of the offense struggled.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 3The High-A Peoria Chiefs went 1-5 in the last six days against Cedar Rapids and Quad Cities. For the week, third baseman Michael Curialle hit .400 (6-for-15) and drove in four runs.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 2After a rough 0-7 stretch to start the season, the High-A Peoria Chiefs have won three straight. For the week, OF Zach Levenson was 8-for-22 (.364) and drove in five.
Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2025 Week 1The Peoria Chiefs had a lackluster start to the season, with losses in their first four games against Quad Cities and South Bend. The main man for Peoria has been Joshua Baez, who hit .333 with three RBI and three runs scored, all team bests.
