Bio
Nate Gercken returns to the Explorers for his seventh season and is the longest tenured Explorer on the roster. Going into the 2026 season, the right-hander leads the franchise in appearances with 222. Gercken moved into second all-time in American Association history last season when he made his 221st appearance on August 29 at Winnipeg. In his career with Sioux City, Gercken has a 4.12 ERA in 227.1 innings, surrendering 102 earned runs with a 19-10 record and six saves. Gercken has recorded 210 strikeouts in parts of six seasons with the Explorers. He ranks (tied) fourth in organization history in wins, and he ranks 12th in strikeouts for Sioux City.
The big right-hander went 7-2 in 2025 out of the X’s pen with a 3.32 ERA. Gercken twirled 38 innings, notching 22 strikeouts and finished third on the club in innings pitched on the season. He would walk 28 while surrendering 14 earned runs on 35 hits during the season. The Explorers were 24-11 when Gercken took the mound in 2025, and he recorded 11 holds and one save.
In 2024 the reliable righty once again made 40 appearances for the second straight season. Gercken went 1-0 while yielding 27 earned runs in 43.2 innings with 26 strikeouts. He finished the season with a 1.580 WHIP and with seven strikeouts over his last five appearances, giving up just one earned run in that span.
In 2023, Gercken appeared in 40 games for Sioux City, fashioning a 3-3 record while yielding 27 earned runs in 41.2 innings with 38 strikeouts. Gercken finished the season with a 1.728 WHIP. He picked up two of his three relief wins in a span of six days on August 1 against Fargo-Moorhead and at Gary South Shore on August 6.
The 2022 season was another strong season for Gercken as he fashioned a 3.38 ERA as a reliever. He went 24 innings while allowing just 18 hits, adding up to a 1.83 WHIP. In 2021, he came into 40 games out of the bullpen, pitching to the tune of a 3.75 ERA with 54 strikeouts over 36 innings. During the COVID year, he went down under to play in the Australian Baseball League for Perth, where he totaled seven innings with two earned runs. 2019 was his first year with the X’s; he had one of his best seasons, posting a 1.91 ERA over 47 innings with a 1.13 WHIP.
Gercken was drafted by the Twins in the 17th round of the 2015 MLB draft out of college, but he quickly joined independent leagues, making his way to the Explorers. Before joining the Explorers, Gercken spent time in other independent leagues. He pitched in the Canadian-American Association in 2018 for New Jersey for two years, earning a 2.08 ERA in 2018 and 2.70 ERA in 2017, combining for 81.1 innings. In 2016, Gercken had his first taste of independent baseball, pitching in the Pacific Association, earning a 6.75 ERA over 18.2 innings.
In 2015, he played in the Twins organization late after being drafted out of the Academy of Art. He pitched 35 innings in rookie ball, allowing 26 earned runs in 35 innings with a 6.69 ERA and 1.66 WHIP.
Before going pro, he played three seasons for the Academy of Art Urban Knights. In his final season, he garnered a 2.90 ERA, nearly throwing 100 innings as a starter. In 2014, he had another productive season, pitching a 2.95 ERA over 82.1 innings. In his first year with the Urban Knights, he had a 4.42 ERA.
