SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2026
OSUNA NAMED ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
SLUGGER BLASTS 21 LONG BALLS
SIOUX CITY, Iowa –The American Association of Professional Baseball announced today that the league has named Sioux City first baseman Alberto Osuna the league’s Rookie Position Player of The Year.
Alberto Osuna slashed a line of .316/.410/.559 while leading the Explorers in home runs with 21, and his 80 RBI placed him second on the team. He had 26 doubles for 47 total extra-base hits to lead Sioux City in 2026. Osuna tied for seventh in the circuit with 80 RBI, and his 21 long balls tied him for ninth in the American Association.
Osuna became the first Explorer to hit 20 or more home runs since Jose Sermo hit 29 in 2021, and his 21 home runs place him fourth all-time in club history in a single season. The native of South Carolina finished with the fourth highest single season RBI total for Sioux City and joined teammate Braulio Vasquez (82 RBI) to be the fourth and fifth players to drive in over 80 runs in a single season in team history. Osuna finished the season with 116 hits—third on the team.
Osuna was on a hot streak to finish the season for Sioux City. Over the last 30 games, he went 52-for-130 (.400) with 42 RBI, and his batting average climbed from .264 to .316 to finish the season. In the field, Osuna played 80 games at first base for Sioux City, posting a .992 fielding percentage—the second best on the team behind catcher Dillon Tatum.
The South Carolina native arrived in Sioux City after spending his true-rookie season playing in 53 games at Staten Island in the Atlantic League in 2025. He hit .253 with four home runs and 27 RBI last season while finishing with a line of .253/.380/.367 and anchoring first base in 53 games. Osuna joined the Atlantic League after a college career where he clubbed 45 home runs in three seasons at the University of North Carolina and was the NJCAA DI player of the year in 2021 at Walters State Community College. Osuna transferred to the University of Tennessee in 2025, but due to legalities, he was not eligible to play for the Volunteers that season
Osuna grew up in Mauldin, South Carolina and played his high school ball at Mauldin High School. He was a member of the honor society and student council off the field while being named to the 2019 SCBCA all-state team. Osuna was a two-time all-region player while in high school.
Osuna is the second rookie of the year award for the X’s as members of the American Association and the first position player to earn the award. Right-handed Pitcher Justin Vernia was selected as the Rookie of the Year by the league in 2018.
We’ll see you in 2027, Explorers fans. Follow the team all offseason long on our social media channels as well as website at xsbaseball.com. Tickets information for the 2027 season is available now by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS or online at xsbaseball.com.
-ABOUT THE SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS: The Sioux City Explorers are a proud member of the American Association of Professional Baseball in Sioux City, IA. The Explorers play their home games at Security National Bank Field at Lewis & Clark Park. For more information, please visit xsbaseball.com and follow the team on Twitter at @SiouxCityXs and on Facebook at facebook.com/SiouxCityExplorers.
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