SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2026
OTAÑO NAMED PITCHER OF THE WEEK
RIGHT-HANDER GOES 2-0 DURING THE WEEK
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – On Monday, the American Association named Sioux City Explorers right-hander Peniel Otaño the Carbliss pitcher of the week for the first the week ending June 14. Otano earned the honor after pitching a complete game shutout on Sunday, June 14 against the Cleburne Railroaders, tossing 5.2 innings, scattering six hits and surrendering two runs and after picking up another win on Tuesday, June 9.
On Tuesday, June 9, Otaño worked 5.2 innings, holding the Sioux Falls Canaries to six hits and two earned runs in the Explorers 8-2 win. On Sunday he went the distance, scattering six hits with just one walk while adding four strikeouts in the shutout of Cleburne. For the week Otaño pitched 14.2 innings, yielding just two earned runs on 12 hits with seven strikeouts and just four walks.
The native of Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic stepped into an ace-like role for Sioux City in 2026. He owns four of the team’s six quality starts and won his last two starts. The Explorers are 5-1 when Otaño makes a start. He has worked a team-leading 37.1 innings with 27 strikeouts and a 2.17 ERA for the X’s.
Otaño is in his second season with Sioux City. He went 2-7 in 2025 with a 6.72 ERA for the Explorers. The righty was a versatile piece of a strong Sioux City pitching staff last season, working both as a starter and as a reliever. Otaño pitched 81.2 innings with 58 strikeouts for the X’s and finished the season in the starting rotation. Otaño ended the year allowing 104 hits and 61 earned runs with a 1.959 WHIP.
Otaño was on the mound in a key moment of the 2025 season on August 27 at Lewis and Clark Park. He tossed five innings of one-run ball in the second-to-last home contest of the season in the X’s 8-4 win over the rival Sioux Falls Canaries. That win secured the #1 seed and West Division regular-season crown for Sioux City.
Otaño originally joined the Explorers after spending parts of four seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Arizona released Otaño in March of 2025 during Spring Training, but the X’s would sign the hard-throwing righty on April 26. He made his first start on Saturday, June 19 at Kane County. Otaño is the first Explorers pitcher of the week since Austin Drury picked up the award last season for the week ending July 20, 2025.
The Explorers began a six-game road trip on Monday with a 13-3 win over the Sioux Falls Canaries with game two set for Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. at the bird cage. The game will air on radio on KSCJ and can be seen on video stream at AABASEBALL.TV. 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 all our news and updates.
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