SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2025
MARMAN AND KNOWLES RETURN TO SIOUX CITY
ALL-STAR AND SPEEDY OUTFIELDER ADDED FOR 2025
SIOUX CITY, IA – The Sioux City Explorers have announced that the club has signed right-handed pitcher Kyle Marman and outfielder D’Shawn Knowles for the 2025 season. The pair both were part of the 2024 Explorers playoff club and are set to be key returning pieces for the upcoming season. The Explorers now have 22 players signed for the 2025 season.
Kyle Marman was one of three American Association All-Stars from Sioux City in 2024 and was the backend anchor of the X’s bullpen. He led the team with 19 saves and finished second in the circuit for the season. Marman earned his first save on May 22, working a third of an inning in the X’s 12-9 win at Gary SouthShore. Two games later he would work two scoreless innings to pick up the relief win at home in a 7-6 victory against Milwaukee on May 29. Marman finished the season 4-2 with a 2.29 ERA in 41 games, working in 47 innings with 68 strikeouts and a 1.191 WHIP.
Marman joined the Explorers in 2024 after spending the 2023 season in the Cleveland Guardians organization. He was the 13th round selection by Cleveland in the 2018 draft out of Florida Atlantic University. The 28-year-old posted a 4.91 ERA over 3.2 innings for AAA Columbus in 2023. Marman made just four appearances in April for the AAA Columbus Clippers due to injury issues, including a stint on the 60-day IL. In his limited appearances, the right-hander pitched well, posting a 4.91 ERA over 3.2 innings while striking out five and earning a win. After his time on the IL, Marman returned on a rehab assignment to the rookie level ACL Guardians in late July, pitching 4.1 innings and striking out seven before being released in mid-August.
In 2022, Marman saw his first AAA action, making it to AAA Columbus after posting a 4.41 ERA in 42 appearances for the AA Akron RubberDucks of the Eastern League. The Florida native pitched in two games for AAA Columbus that season, going 2.1 innings of one-run ball against the Toledo Mud Hens in his AAA debut September 22. In his 42 appearances for AA Akron, Marman finished 13 games, earning four saves while pitching 51 innings. He struck out 66 batters, posting a WHIP of 1.333 for the season. Marman led the team in games pitched during the 2022 season at AA.
In total, Marman spent parts of four seasons in the Guardians system going 15-6 with a 4.42 ERA in 128.1 innings. He added 160 strikeouts, surrendering 63 earned runs on 105 hits and issuing 70 walks with six saves in his MiLB career. Marman made one start with 96 relief appearances with a 1.364 WHIP. Marman pitched three seasons for Florida Atlantic University before being drafted by Cleveland in 2018. He resides in St. Petersburg, Florida, and attended Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando.
D’Shawn Knowles returns for his second season with Sioux City after joining the club in early August of 2024 for the stretch run to the playoffs. The native of New Providence, Bahamas, spent six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organization, reaching AAA in 2024. He also has experience on the international stage as a member of Team Great Britain during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Knowles got off to a solid start in Sioux City in 2024, beginning his time with the X’s on a three-game hitting streak and hitting safely in 10 of his first 13 games. He had back-to-back two hit games on August 13 and 14 in two games against Kane County as part of his hot early start.
For the season, Knowles hit .261 in 23 games with one home run and 13 RBI. His lone long ball will live forever in Explorers history and became a defining moment of the 2024 season. On August 19 Sioux City came home to face the defending Mile Wolff Cup champions, the Kansas City Monarchs in a pivotal five-game series. The X’s were rolling 8-2 into the top of the seventh. The Monarchs, however, rallied for 11 runs to take a 13-8 lead. The Explorers would come back in the eighth, scoring eight runs to take the lead back. Knowles would launch the go-ahead grand slam to complete the Sioux City comeback on the way to a 16-13 win. The Explorers would go on to sweep Kansas City in the five-game series. Knowles finished the game 3-for-5 with a double and homer and scored three runs in his four-RBI performance.
Knowles patrolled center field for Sioux City and added five stolen bases in his short time with the club. He also added seven multi-hit games during his 23 games to go along with six doubles, scoring 17 runs to close out the year. Knowles added his second three-hit game on August 25 at Lincoln with a double, scoring two runs in that 10-6 win at Lincoln.
Prior to his arrival in Sioux City, Knowles played in 35 games at Triple-A Salt Lake City for the Angels organization. He hit .202 with one home run and 14 RBI in the first part of 2014. He went 6-for-19 in a short rehab stint with the Angels rookie complex club to finish the season .223 combined in the “halos” system. In 2023, Knowles split time between the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas and High-A Tri-City Dust Devils. He was promoted to Double-A in mid-August, ending his time with the Dust Devils on a 10-game hit streak where he batted .421 with a 1.004 OPS.
Knowles climbed the ladder of the Angels system in 2018, beginning at the rookie level but reaching AAA in 2024. In his seven-year career, the 24-year-old has played 521 games in the minor and partner leagues combined with a .253 average with 24 career home runs, 224 RBI and 108 stolen bases. In the 2023 World Baseball Classic Knowles had a pinch-hit triple for Great Britain in the seventh inning off Team USA and Colorado Rockies reliever Kyle Freeland on March 11 at Chase Field in Phoenix in a 6-2 loss. He had another pinch hit and a double in an 18-8 loss to Team Canada on March 12.
Knowles’ twin brother D’Vaughn Knowles played parts of three seasons with the New York Yankees organization. Knowles grew up in Nassau in the Bahamas but makes his home in Lake Worth, Florida.
Players signed 2025:
RHP Kyle Marman
OF D’Shawn Knowles
LHP Austin Drury
RHP Roy Garcia
IF Joshua Day
RHP Felix Cepeda
LHP Brendan O’Donnell
C Jake Meyer
RHP Heitor Tokar
IF Luis Toribio
IF Abdiel Layer
OF Jose Layer
OF Austin Davis
OF Zac Vooletich
LHP Miguel Pozo
OF Emilio Corona
C/1B Kurtis Byrne
LHP Chase Jessee
OF Henry George
RHP Jeremy Goins
LHP Jaren Jackson
RHP Ben Madison
The Explorers are set to open their 32nd season in the Siouxland on the road Thursday night, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. against the Kane County Cougars. The club will celebrate opening night at Lewis and Clark Park Friday night, May 16 at 7:05 p.m., against the Kansas City Monarchs. Ticket packages for the 2025 season are on-sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10, 15 and 25-game Flex Packs. More information is available by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS. Stay tuned to the Explorers social media channels and the club’s website xsbaseball.com for off-season news and updates. The official podcast of the Explorers can be found online and tune into the live show on Facebook Live during the offseason for more news and Explorers content.