What we learned about the Peoria Chiefs and parent club St. Louis Cardinals in 2021
Dave Eminian
PEORIA — There have to be better days ahead for the Peoria Chiefs, right?
The farm team of the St. Louis Cardinals reached the Midwest League championship series in 2018.
But it's been a tough journey since then: 54-85 in 2019, second-last in the then 16-team Midwest League; no season in 2020 because of COVID; and 45-75 in the just-completed 2021 run, last among the 12 teams in the newly-formed High-A Central League.
The 2021 Chiefs record was 10th-worst among the 120 full-season minor league teams. Their minus-158 run differential was worst in the league and 11th worst in minor league baseball.
The Chiefs were a hard watch in 2021, a trend among Cardinals teams.
St. Louis' Springfield club finished 45-75 — worst in the Double-A Central — and with a run differential at minus-217 that was fifth-worst in the minors.
The Cardinals' Palm Beach team, at Low-A Southeast, finished a league-worst 37-80 and with a minus-223 run differential.
More:How one of minor league baseball's oldest players landed with the Peoria Chiefs
The strategy
"This was a situation like no other before," Chiefs manager Chris Swauger said. "Our strategy of pushing the younger players to come up to these levels, we needed them at these levels and we have to dig deep and find the underlying positives.
"We challenged a lot of these guys, and our player development department earned its title."
Climbing the ladder
The parent club Cardinals pushed 10 Chiefs up to Double-A Springfield during the 2021 season. That's more important to any parent club than wins and losses in the minors.
The notables included outfielder Alec Burleson, second baseman Brendan Donovan and third baseman Malcom Nunez, all strong hitters who figured to be among the best in the High-A league.
"The number of guys who moved on from Peoria and had success, and some of them very early on, is something to point to," Swauger said, noting Burleson, Donovan and Nunez won promotions quickly.
Two elite prospects
Two guys worth the price of admission and then some were shortstop Masyn Winn and third baseman Jordan Walker. The teenagers joined Peoria with the season in progress, both elite prospects who did not disappoint.
More:Peoria just the next step on No. 1 pick Jordan Walker's road to St. Louis Cardinals
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Walker, 19, was the Cardinals first-round pick in 2020. He came in and hit .292 with 8 home runs and 27 RBI in 55 games.
Winn played alongside him at shortstop, and the 2020 second-round pick hit two homers, stole 16 bases and scored 26 runs in 36 games. And he did something else: He pitched, with the Cardinals developing him as the first two-way player in Peoria's franchise history.
More:The St. Louis Cardinals have a 19-year-old two-way prospect. He's playing in Peoria
"Both those guys bring excitement to us," Swauger said. "Jordan Walker is the best player I've ever had, flat out. Everything you look for, he checks all the boxes."
Bottom line on the field
"All of our players learned something about themselves," Swauger said. "They got exposed to development, got their pro careers going. They made important progress."
Swauger, by the way, had a development of his own. He and his wife were expecting their second child last week.
What happens next?
Chiefs general manager Jason Mott dealt with an understaffed operation from the outset that turned critical when the team's chief revenue officer, box office manager and public relations director all left the team before the season ended.
The team faces between $6 million and $10 million in renovations to Dozer Park required by MLB under its new guidelines with the minors. Lead Chiefs owner David Bielfeldt said his team intends to comply.
They'll need to renovate their approach to the fanbase, too, as the team's won-loss column was a drag on attendance.
Three of the four farm teams in the Cardinals system finished last in their leagues, with Peoria (45-75), Springfield (45-75) and Palm Beach (37-80).
The Chiefs averaged 1,223 spectators per game. That was second-worst (Beloit) in the High-A Central League and 14th from the bottom in the 120-team minor league system.
On to 2022.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.