SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2023
GIMENEZ EARNS BATTER OF THE WEEK
FOUR LONG BALLS POWERS WEEK
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The American Association has named Sioux City Explorers catcher Wilfredo Gimenez the Pointstreak Batter of the Week for the week ending August 27. Gimenez went 9-for-21 during the week with four home runs, driving in nine runs and scoring seven runs for the Explorers. The native of Maracay, Venezuela hit homers in back-to-back games twice during the week as Sioux City kept pace in the playoff race in the American Association.
Gimenez capped off his week driving in all three runs for Sioux City in the team’s series-finale win 3-2 over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks on Sunday. He gave the X’s the lead in the first inning on an RBI single off lefty Tyler Grauer then two innings later hit a two-run blast to left to make it 3-0. Saturday night he also hit a solo home run and drove in two more runs with a rocket off the center field wall that went for a long single. The first-year Explorer had four multi-hit games, including a 3-for-4 game where he hit two doubles and a homer with three RBI and scoring three runs in a 9-4 win over the Milkmen on August 23.
Gimenez, was signed by the Florida Marlins in 2008, reaching AA in 2014. He signed with the Gary SouthShore RailCats in 2017 after two years away from the game and spent the next three seasons on the SouthShore. In late 2019 he was traded to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks on August 22 and would finish out the season playing in nine games. He has become a fixture in his native Venezuela, playing in the Venezuelan Winter League for six seasons. He spent his first season in 2012-2013 with La Guairá but then moved on to Aragua from 2018-2019 to 2021 to 2022. This past winter played for Caracas. In six winter ball seasons, he has hit .304 in Venezuela.
The catcher came to Sioux City following a year with the Lake Country DockHounds where he played in 79 games hitting .234 with seven home runs in 2022. Gimenez has caught 48 games and the pitching staff has a 3.62 ERA when he is behind the dish. The Explorers have a 32-17 record when Gimenez starts. He is third on the team with 37 RBI and is hitting .273 in 59 games with seven home runs and 37 RBI. The veteran receiver is one home run shy of tying a career mark he set last season with Lake Country.
Sioux City is off Monday, August 28 but will hit the road Tuesday, August 29 for eight games in seven days to close out the regular season. The X’s begin a three-game series at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas tomorrow then move on to Chicago for the Labor Day weekend. The team sits in second in the West Division of the American Association and with four teams set to make the playoffs from the division are still in the hunt for playoff baseball this season. Stay tuned to the Explorers social channels for playoff updates as they become available. Tickets for the season can be purchased online as XSBaseball.com, in person at the Lewis and Clark Park Box Office or by calling 712-277-WINS. You can catch all the X’s action on aabaseball.tv and on radio at KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM.