The Midwest League announced the Post-Season All-Star team on Monday and the Peoria Chiefs lead the way with three selections. Second baseman Darren Seferina, left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber and right-handed reliever Kyle Grana were chosen in a vote of MWL Managers to the post-season team.
Seferina has been the Chiefs leadoff hitter since late May and is batting .282 with 22 doubles, four homers, 28 RBI, 22 steals, 92 runs scored and he leads the Midwest League with 11 triples. Seferina leads the Chiefs with a .441 slugging percentage and is second with a .338 on-base percentage among those with at least 200 at-bats. He hit .410 in the month of June while racking up 14 extra-base hits and scoring 19 runs in 29 games. Seferina’s 11 triples are tied for the second most in a single season in team history with the record being set by Kerry Robinson in 1996 at 14.
Gomber has turned in one of the best seasons in Chiefs history on the mound. The left-hander leads the Midwest League with 14 wins and 132 strikeouts while also topping the league with a .200 batting average against. His WHIP of 0.98 ranks second while he is also top 10 in innings pitched at 129 and sixth in ERA at 2.79. Gomber is tied for the fifth most wins in a season in team history and one win away from being tied for second. His 132 strikeouts are tied for 20th on the Chiefs single-season list and he is just 10 strikeouts away from the top 10. Only eight pitchers in franchise history have won at least 14 games in a season while also striking out at least 130 batters. The lefty has gone at least five innings in 20 straight starts and is the only pitcher in all of MiLB to win 13 straight decisions as a starter this season, also a franchise record. Gomber has 12 quality starts and he has gone at least seven innings in seven starts this season. He is 8-0 with a 2.21 ERA in 11 road starts and has not lost a game since April 29.
Grana is having one of the best seasons for a reliever in team history with 20 saves and a 0.90 ERA in 47 outings. He is 2-2 with 59 strikeouts over 50 innings while holding opponents to a .188 batting average. With his 20th save of the season on Saturday night, Grana moved into a tie for 10th on the Chiefs single-season list and he is now second in the MWL this season in saves. If his ERA holds, Grana will set a new record for lowest ERA by a Chiefs reliever in franchise history. The current low mark of 1.05 was established by Ben Julianel over 51 2/3 innings in 2003. Grana’s 47 appearances are also second in the MWL as are his 37 games finished. Only 29 pitchers in Chiefs history have appeared in 50 games in a season and Grana is tied for 12th in team history in games finished. The Missouri native is fourth in the MWL among relievers with 10.62 strikeouts per 9 innings and fifth with a .188 average against.
The Chiefs were the only team in the Midwest League to have three representatives on the Post-Season All-Star Team. The Chiefs had not had a Post-Season All-Star since 2009 when four players (Josh Harrison, Josh Vitters, Kyler Burke and Rebel Ridling) were selected. The 2009 season is also the last time the Chiefs made the playoffs and this year’s team heads to Cedar Rapids Monday night with a magic number of four to clinch a spot over Beloit and Wisconsin.
