The 2021 season marks Flores’ fifth season in professional baseball and his fourth with the Sioux City Explorers. 

Flores has become a household name to X’s fans when he comes out of the bullpen. Armed with his trademark frisbee slider he has also become well known to opponents around the league. 

The only season that Ryan Flores has not donned a Sioux City Explorers uniform was the year in which the X’s didn’t play. He was selected by the Winnipeg Goldeyes in the 8th round of the American Association dispersal draft and appeared in three games for the fish. He was released and picked up by the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks finishing out the 2020 season with them. Appearing in 16 games with a 4.50 ERA he struck out 34 batters in 26 innings of work. 

In 2019 Flores began the year with the Sioux Falls Canaries, after a couple of transactions he found himself back in an Explorers uniform. Between the two I-29 rivals Flores appeared in 36 games with a 3-3 record and a 5.56 ERA. He struck out 53 batters in 42.1 innings of work. 

Flores’ best season with the X’s to date came during the 2018 campaign. He set a career high in games with 46 while also setting an impressive career low ERA of 2.63. He struck out 70 batters in 61.2 innings, compiling a WHIP of 1.135. 

Over his three season career in Sioux City, Flores has appeared in the fourth most games in franchise history (117) and sits in ninth place for most strikeouts (205). Over his 174 innings of work he has an ERA of 3.77. 

His first season with the X’s in 2017 the right hander led the team with 44 appearances and 93 strikeouts, which is the 20th highest total in a single season for an Explorer. 

Prior to joining the Explorers, the now 26 year old pitched collegiately at Richland College in Dallas, TX. In 2016, Flores also played for the Savannah Bananas in the Coastal Plain League (collegiate summer baseball league) where he impressed going 4-0 with 3 saves and a 2.21 ERA. In 36.2 innings pitched, Flores allowed only 29 hits while striking out 42 batters. Flores also played in the fall of 2016 in the new Desert League for the Yuma Hammers where the righty held a 2.69 ERA in 20 innings pitched, accumulating 16 strikeouts.   

The Sioux City Explorers 29th year in Siouxland will begin at MercyOne Field at Lewis and Clark Park on May 18th versus the Houston Apollos.