Players

Ben DeTaeye returns to his native Iowa for a second season after making his professional debut with Sioux City last season, pitching in 22 games with a 1.45 ERA in 22 relief appearances. The lefty would strike out 32 in 31 innings while picking up two wins out of the pen in 2025. He would make his professional debut on June 15, 2025, working a third of an inning in the Explorers 4-3 win over Lincoln at Lewis and Clark Park. DeTaeye got off to a hot start for the X’s, allowing just one earned run in his first eight games over nine innings. He had another strong stretch during the Explorers run in the month of August. DeTaeye surrendered just three earned runs in 11 games over 20.2 innings over the last full month of the season with 18 strikeouts.

DeTaeye would pick up his first career win on August 13 in a 2-1 win for Sioux City over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks on the road in Fargo. He threw two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts as the X’s broke a ninth-inning tie to go on to the win. Eight days later on August 21, DeTaeye notched another win at home over Lincoln. He tossed a scoreless frame with two punchouts in a 7-5 win over the Saltdogs. DeTaeye would allow just five earned runs all season in 31 innings with 20 walks. He would post a 1.194 WHIP during the 2025 season.

The 24-year-old DeTaeye joined the Explorers after finishing his collegiate baseball career with the Iowa Hawkeyes. In three seasons, the six-foot left-hander appeared in 51 games, making four starts. He finished his amateur career with a 4-6 record with a 4.77 ERA across 71.2 innings, where he struck out 100 batters and walked 50. During his senior season with the Hawkeyes, DeTaeye finished 0-5 with a 4.89 ERA across 35 innings, where he punched out a career-high 51 batters.

In his summer collegiate baseball career, DeTaeye shined. In 2023, with the Clinton LumberKings of the Prospect League, the Clive, Iowa native didn’t allow a single run in 14.1 innings of work. He struck out 15 batters, walked 8, and surrendered just four hits. The following summer with the Mat-Su Miners of the Alaskan League, DeTaeye was dominant again, finishing 2-0 with a 1.24 ERA in 29 innings across 10 appearances. He racked up 31 Ks and walked just 12 hitters, ending the summer with a WHIP of 0.931.

DeTaeye started his collegiate career at Iowa Central Community College as a two-way player. In his only full season in 2021, he made six appearances, pitching to a 2-1 record with a 2.08 ERA. He also hit .242 with two home runs, five doubles and 29 RBI. DeTaeye made one appearance as a freshman in the abbreviated 2020 season.

At West Des Moines Valley High School, DeTaeye was a multi-time All-State and All-Conference selection. In his junior season in 2018, he led his team to a conference championship and a state semifinal appearance.