Chiefs Set to Start 2021 Campaign on the Road at Cedar Rapids
May 4, 2021 - Midwest League (MWL)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
PEORIA, Ill. -- It's been 610 days since the Peoria Chiefs last took the field against the Clinton Lumberkings. Over a year and a half later, the Chiefs will return to the diamond tonight as they open the season with a six-game road trip at Cedar Rapids.
The 2021 season will be different for those who follow the minor leagues. After a year of restructuring that saw 40 teams lose their major league affiliations, the Chiefs will be playing in the High-A Central division this season, which consists of familiar foes from the former Midwest League.
With the move to High-A, some familiar faces will return to the ball club this season. The Chiefs return at least 15 players who have played at least one game in Peoria throughout their career. The roster consists of 16 pitchers, six infielders, four outfielders, and three catchers. Four of the Cardinals top 30 prospects as well as two of the team's seven draft picks last year will play in Peoria this summer. Here are some players to look out for this season.
Players to look out for:
Position Players
Jhon Torres: According to MLB Pipeline, Torres is the seventh ranked prospect in the Cardinals system. Baseball America's "Best Tools" survey listed Torres as the "Best Outfield Arm" in the organization each of the last two years. He returns to Peoria after playing 21 games with the Chiefs in 2019, slashing .167/.240/.212.
Malcolm Nunez: Nunez returns to Peoria after spending 21 games of the 2019 season with the team. He spent time at the Cardinals alternate training site during the COVID-19 MLB protocols last season. According to MLB Pipeline, Nunez is the 16th best prospect in the Cardinals system.
Alec Burleson: Burleson was the Cardinals second round compensatory round selection in the 2020 draft. He ranks as the 19th best prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline. As a two-way player out of East Carolina University, Burleson will be playing the outfield for the Chiefs. In his collegiate career in the outfield, he hit .341 with 12 home runs and 91 total runs batted in.
Brady Whalen: A 2019 Midwest League All-Star at first base, Whalen returns to the Chiefs after leading the team with 30 doubles, 81 RBIs, and an overall slash line of .248/.335/.370. As a player, Whalen brings a strong defensive game to the corner infield. In Baseball America's "Best Tools" survey, Whalen was ranked among the "Best Defensive First Baseman" list.
Pedro Pages: A sixth-round selection in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, Pages excels at getting on base, reaching base safely in 42 of his 50 (84%) of his professional games. He also posted a 23-game on-base streak in the 2019 New York-Penn league. As a catcher, Pages has thrown out 40 percent of attempted base stealers in his professional career. Look for Pages and his knack for getting on base to be a spark for the Chiefs offense.
PITCHERS:
Ian Bedell: A pitcher from the University of Missouri, Bedell was the Cardinals fourth round selection in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft. In the Tigers shortened 2020 campaign, Bedell finished with a 2-2 record and a 3.70 ERA. He is the 13th best prospect in the Cardinals organization according to Fangraphs and MLB Pipeline.
Freddy Pacheco: Pacheco returns to Peoria in 2021 after previously playing there in 2019. In 41 appearances that season, he finished with a 4.12 earned run average and three saves. Pacheco has led the Cardinals minor league system in K/9 each of the last two seasons (2018-2019).
Logan Gragg: An eighth-round selection in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, Gragg made eight starts for the Chiefs in that year, splitting the season between then-A Short Season affiliate State College and Low-A Peoria. He posted a 3.38 ERA in nine outings with the Chiefs in 2019.
Ian Oxnevad: An eighth-round selection in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft, Oxnevad spent the 2017 season with the Chiefs. He went 7-6 with a 4.79 ERA two seasons ago in Palm Beach. He has not pitched a competitive baseball game in over two years, missing all of 2019 due to injury and 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season. Look for Oxnevad to try to re- establish himself in the Cardinals system this season.
Jack Ralston: Ralston brings a solid and dependable bullpen arm to the Chiefs roster. He performed well with State College in 2019, allowing only three earned runs in 17 appearances for a 1.07 ERA. Ralston also finished in the top ten among Cardinals minor league pitchers with five saves. His development as a pitcher will be something to look out for as the season progresses.
On the coaching side of things, Chris Swauger returns to manage the Chiefs in his second stint as manager of the club. He previously managed the team from 2017-18, making the Midwest League playoffs in both seasons. Swauger was a 26th round draft pick of the Cardinals out of The Citadel in 2008. This will be his fifth season as a minor league manager and his third total with the Chiefs.
Rick Harig was scheduled to be the Chiefs pitching coach in 2020, before the pandemic forced the cancellation of the minor league season. He joins the Chiefs from the Cardinals former affiliate in Johnson City, where his pitching staff allowed the fewest walks in the Appalachian League.
Joey Hawkins joins the club as hitting coach. The Oshawa, Ontario, Canada native coached in the college ranks with St. Louis University and Jefferson College before serving as hitting coach for the Cardinals' Gulf Coast League affiliate in 2019.
The move to High-A brings a few changes in comparison with previous seasons. A new rule the minor leagues are introducing is known as the "step off rule" for 2021. The rule requires pitchers to step off the rubber before throwing to any base on a pickoff attempt. It was previously tested in the Atlantic League in 2019. The rule should make it easier for runners to steal bases against left-handed pitchers in particular.
As for the schedule, the Chiefs will play four series (two home, two away) against Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities, Wisconsin, and Beloit. Peoria will also play two series (one home, one away) against Cubs affiliate South Bend and two crossover series against High-A Central East division opponent West Michigan. Each series will be six games apiece. All games Tuesday through Saturday games start at 6:35 p.m. and Sunday games will start at 1:35 p.m.
With a mix of old and new faces, it should be an exciting season as baseball returns to Peoria for the first time in a year and a half. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. in Cedar Rapids tonight. The Chiefs will return to Dozer Park for their home-opener on May 11 against Wisconsin.
Individual Ticket Information
May and June single game tickets are now on sale! Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and on Friday's from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tickets for July, August and September will be available at a later time.
The Peoria Chiefs are locally owned and operated and play their games at Dozer Park. The Chiefs are a committed community asset and premier entertainment venue for families and individuals in Central Illinois.
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