Three Storm Chasers Honored With International League Awards

PAPILLION, NEB. – Minor League Baseball today announced the International League awards and All-Star team, with three Omaha representatives – Mike Jirschele, Evan Sisk and Walter Pennington. Jirschele was named the 2024 International League Manager of the Year, while Sisk and Pennington were chosen as the two relievers on the 2024 International League All-Star team.

Jirschele’s Manager of the Year recognition is his first such award with Omaha in his 16^th season as the Triple-A Omaha manager. He led the International League Champion Storm Chasers to a league-best 89-59 record in the regular season, setting a franchise record with 89 wins en route to the club’s first International League championship and eighth Triple-A league title. The Storm Chasers won the league’s First Half title before going on to defeat the Columbus Clippers in the International League Championship Series and advance to the Triple-A National Championship Game. 2024 marked Jirschele’s 33^rd season coaching in the Royals organization, having previously managed the Triple-A Omaha club from 1995-97 and 2003-13, leading the team to two Pacific Coast League titles (2011, 2013) and a Triple-A Championship in 2013. The Chasers’ 89 wins in 2024 represent the second-most from a team managed by Jirschele, trailing only his 1994 Wilmington Blue Rocks club that won 94 games. Jirschele was previously recognized as the 1992 GCL Manager of the Year, leading the league-champion GCL Royals to a 41-18 record and was named the 1994 Carolina League Manager of the Year, as well as the 1994 Minor League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News, as he skippered the Carolina League-winning Wilmington Blue Rocks to a 94-44 record. He is the fourth Triple-A Omaha manager to be named a league manager of the year, joining Jack McKeon (1969 American Association Manager of the Year), Joe Sparks (1981 American Association Manager of the Year) and Sal Rende (1990 American Association Manager of the Year).

Sisk, 27, earned his first career MiLB All-Star selection, as one of two relievers on the International League All-Star team. The second-year Storm Chaser appeared in a league-leading 58 games out of the bullpen for Omaha in 2024 and went 6-2 with 15 saves, a 1.57 ERA (10 ER in 57.1 IP) and 81 strikeouts (12.72 K/9). He ranked third in Minor League Baseball in appearances this year, while ranking fourth in the league in saves. Among International League pitchers that threw at least 50.0 innings this year, Sisk had the lowest ERA, while sporting the second-lowest opponents’ average (.166) and fourth-lowest WHIP (1.03). Sisk was the only Triple-A pitcher to throw 50.0 innings or more without allowing a home run, one of just 17 pitchers in Minor League Baseball this season to do so. 50 of Sisk’s 58 appearances were scoreless, including a team-best stretch of 14 games (15.1 innings) from April 20 to June 4, one of three instances where he went 8+ games without allowing a run. The southpaw’s streak of 20 appearances (17.1 innings) without allowing an earned run between June 9 and August 6 was the longest in the International League this season (by games pitched). Left-handed hitters went just 8-for-86 (.093 average) against Sisk in 2024, the lowest opponents’ average for a left-handed pitcher against left-handed hitters in the Minors this year (min. 70 plate appearances). Sisk also had the lowest opponents’ slugging percentage (.105) and OPS (.291) in left-on-left matchups in the Minor Leagues in 2024. He stranded 28 of 32 inherited runners (87.5%), the highest rate in among Triple-A relievers (min. 25 inherited runners). A native of Chester, South Carolina, Sisk was originally selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16^th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of the College of Charleston. Traded to Minnesota in July 2021, he was named an MiLB.com Organization All-Star with the Twins in 2022, then was traded to the Royals January 23, 2023, from Minnesota with RHP Steven Cruz in exchange for OF Michael A. Taylor.

Pennington, 26, also earned his first career MiLB All-Star selection as the second of two relievers on the International League All-Star team. A second-year Storm Chaser, Pennington appeared in 37 games for Omaha (2 starts) and went 6-3 for the Storm Chasers with a 2.26 ERA (15 ER in 59.2 IP) with 79 strikeouts (11.92 K/9). The left-hander opened the year with Omaha and made his Major League debut with Kansas City July 5 at Colorado. He was traded to Texas July 29 in exchange for Michael Lorenzen and 15 of his 17 appearances to end the year in the Rangers organization came in the Major Leagues. At the time of the trade, Pennington led the Chasers in strikeouts (79) and still ended the season fourth on the staff. 24 of the southpaw’s 37 appearances with Omaha were scoreless, including 10 outings where he pitched 2.0 scoreless innings or more. Twice, Pennington served as an opener for Omaha and both times offered scoreless performances, including 4.0 perfect innings with 6 strikeouts May 11 vs. Jacksonville (MIA). Pennington was named the International League’s Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 27 to June 2, when he struck out 12 over 6.1 scoreless innings in a seven-game series at Indianapolis. A native of Broomfield, Colorado, Pennington was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Royals out of Colorado School of Mines in August 2020.

The three award winners in 2024 are Omaha’s first league award winners since the Triple-A East All-Star honors and league awards in 2021, when Jackson Kowar (Pitcher of the Year), Ryan McBroom (All-Star Designated Hitter) and Bobby Witt Jr. (Top MLB Prospect) were recognized by Minor League Baseball.