Five Chiefs Named All-Stars
The Peoria Chiefs have landed five players on the 2014 Western Division squad for the 50th Midwest League All-Star Game the league announced Wednesday. Outfielder Ronald Castillo leads the way as a starter while Juan Herrera and CJ McElroy Jr. will be reserves. Chris Perry and Arturo Reyes were named to the pitching staff for the game to be played at West Michigan in two weeks.
Castillo, 21, is hitting .287 with three home runs. 10 doubles and he is tied for the team lead with 29 RBI despite missing more than a week with an abdominal strain. He has scored 20 runs and is slugging .401 with a .729 OPS. A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Castillo signed with the Cardinals as a non-drafted free agent in 2009.
Herrera, 20, is hitting .279 in 49 games with 11 doubles, three triples and 29 runs scored. The shortstop is fifth in the MWL with 21 stolen bases and has also driven in 25 runs. A native of Bani, Dominican Republic, Herrera was acquired by the Cardinals from the Cleveland Indians on July 30, 2013 in a deal for Marc Rzepczynski.
McElroy, 21, has been the Chiefs leadoff hitter in all 51 of his starts this season batting .274 with four doubles, two triples and 29 runs scored. He has 12 RBI to go along with 11 stolen bases and 14 walks. A native of League City, Texas, McElroy was drafted by the Cardinals in the third round of the 2011 draft.
Perry, 23, was named the St Louis Cardinals Organizational Pitcher of the Month for May on Tuesday. Overall he is 3-0 with a 2.23 ERA in 18 outings. Perry is fourth in the MWL with 60 strikeouts despite having thrown just 36 1/3 innings on the season. His 14.86 K/9 inning ratio is the best in the MWL by more than 1 strikeout over teammate Kevin Herget (13.00). Perry has walked just 11 batters this season and is holding MWL opponents to a .165 average. A native of Cary, NC, Perry was drafted in the 17th round in 2012 out of Methodist College.
Reyes, 22, is the lone Chiefs starter to get an All-Star selection. He is 3-3 with a 2.81 ERA in nine starts with 40 strikeouts over 51 1/3 innings. Reyes has gone at least five innings in seven starts this season while turning in six or more four times for quality starts. He is holding MWL batters to a .226 average. Reyes was drafted in the 40th round in June 2013 out of Gonzaga University
The 50th Midwest League All-Star Game will be played at Fifth Third Field, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps on Tuesday, June 17. The Chiefs are tied with Wisconsin for the most Western Division selections with five while three teams have four players. South Bend leads the Eastern Division squad with six selections.