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X’s Short Stop Takes Home League Honor

Kansas City, KS - The American Association announced their Post Season All-Star team today and Nate Samson of the Sioux City Explorers was named as the shortstop. All star teams were selected with votes from every teams coaches and media. 

Samson, goes into the final day of the regular season leading the Explorers in hitting with a .327 average that also happens to be tied for third in the league and is currently tied for the league lead with 130 hits. He has also swatted six homers which ties his own career high. His 60 runs scored, 67 RBI’s and 21 stolen bases all rank second on the team. Samson has also collected 24 doubles and five triples to see him rack up a total of 35 extra base hits. Missing just one game, Samson has struck out only 25 times and has earned 30 walks.

Samson has made his fair share of defensive highlights at short with a fielding percentage of .977 and helping turn 56 double plays this season. 

It is the second straight season in which the league has chosen Samson as a post season all star. Samson was also named to the 2019 south division all star team and played in the all star game in St. Paul earlier this year.

Samson will not break his single season record for hits which he has broken twice already as he collected 137 hits in his player of the year campaign in 2016 and again with 141 in 2018. 

Finishing up his fifth season in Sioux City, Samson has played in 407 games, and has collected 540 hits. He is only 102 hits shy of Michael Lang’s all time career franchise record of 642. Samson’s 97 doubles places him only nine back of Lang’s career record of 106. He’s never struck out more than he has walked in a single season with only 98 whiffs total.

Samson and the Explorers face a must win game to reach the post season in the season finale against the Kansas City T-Bones with first pitch set for 1:05 pm.