712.277.WINS (9467)

Hard Throwing Reliever Coming Back to Sioux City Pen

Sioux City, IA (April 26th, 2022) — The Sioux City Explorers have announced the signings of RHP Max Kuhns and RHP Kevin McCanna to  2022 American Association contracts. 

2022 will mark Max Kuhns’ sixth season of pro ball and second with the Sioux City Explorers. 

Last season Kuhns paced the X’s and ended the year tied for the league lead with 44 games pitched and accumulated a 2.97 ERA, 60.2 innings over the course of the season. His 88 strikeouts were third most on the team and the most thrown by a reliever. Both the games pitched and strikeouts were easily career highs. 

The righty became a postseason hero for the X’s as he earned a save in the south division wild card game by tossing four shutout frames to finish off the blanking of the Cleburne Railroaders. 

He was instrumental in getting Sioux City into the wild card game with a clutch performance over the final weekend of the regular season. He pitched in three out of the five games in Sioux Falls, tossing 5.2 innings with ten strikeouts, two walks, two hits and did not allow a run while also earning a save. 

Kuhns was drafted by the New York Mets in the 21st round of the 2016 MLB Draft after his junior season at Santa Clara University where he posted a 2.21 ERA and racked up 14 saves in 28 games for the Broncos. 

He spent the next four seasons with the Mets organization bouncing between the rookie level and different levels of Class-A. 

The Colorado native’s best season with the Mets came in 2017 at Class-A, Columbia where in 17 games he collected five saves and 37 strikeouts in 25.2 innings of work while posting a 2.10 ERA. Those numbers helped Kuhns be selected to the South Atlantic League All-Star Team. 

The 27 year old right hander got his first taste of independent baseball during the 2019 campaign. After pitching just one game for High-A, St. Lucie he was let go by the New York Metropolitans. Kuhns then found his place with the Quebec Capitales. 

In 18 games with Quebec of the Can-Am League, he had a 6.00 ERA in 18 innings with 14 punch outs. 

The Sioux City Explorers 30th year in Siouxland will begin at MercyOne Field at Lewis and Clark Park on May 17 versus the Lake Country DockHounds. Season, Group and Single Game Tickets are now all on sale and can be purchased by calling (712) 277-9467.