SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE

Phone: 712.277.9467

Website: xsbaseball.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 18, 2025

 

SIOUX CITY ADDS TO THE MIX FOR 2026

FORMER HAWKEYE LEFTY AND SLUGGING CATCHER JOIN THE X’S

 

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers have announced that the team has signed left-handed pitcher and former Iowa Hawkeye Ben DeTaeye and slugging catcher Dillon Tatum to contracts for the 2026 season. The pair are the fifth and sixth roster additions of the offseason for the Explorers and Manager Steve Montgomery.

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.

Dillon Tatum, a native of Stockton, California comes to the American Association after one season with the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer League. Tatum spent parts of four seasons with the Minnesota Twins organization, reaching Double-A after being selected in the 20th round of the 2020 MLB Draft. In 2025 with the Ballers, Tatum played 69 games and finished second on the club in home runs with 23 and third on the team with 75 RBI just one RBI behind newly signed Explorer Cameron Bufford. His 23 long balls also placed him 10th in the Pioneer League last season. Tatum would finish the year with a slash line of .338/.455/.684 while scoring 55 runs with 76 hits.

In the field, Tatum had a .996 fielding percentage for Oakland and threw out 10 out of 51 runners from behind the plate last season. He made just two errors in 68 games and just 11 errors in 183 professional games caught in his career. In four seasons with the Twins organization, Tatum gunned down 31 out of 161 catching and added another 35 games at first base in his professional career.

In 2024 Tatum played 24 games at High-A Cedar Rapids in the Midwest League. He hit .197 with two homers and five RBI for the Kernels. Tatum spent 2023 with Fort Myers in the Florida State League, hitting .173 in 53 games at Low-A with one home run and 15 RBI.  Tatum played a career-high 74 games in 2022, primarily with Fort Myers. He hit .175 in 72 games, launching six home runs with 19 RBI for the season. Tatum spent two games at Double-A Wichita, going 2-for-9 with a pair of RBI. His rookie season with Minnesota, Tatum saw his first professional action, playing in five games with the Florida Complex League rookie-level Twins. He went 7-for-10 in his short stint in the FCL.

Tatum played one season at the University of California Irvine in 2021 and spent 2019 and 2020 at San Joaquin Delta College in California. His only season at UC-Irvine he slashed a line of .278/.401/.684 for the Anteaters in 40 games. Tatum started 31 games behind the plate and had one start at first base. His first two college seasons at San Joaquin he hit .316 in 60 games with four home runs and 55 RBI. Tatum hit .366 in a shortened season in 2020 with 22 RBI and .290 his first season in college with four homers and 33 RBI.

Tatum, 25, was born and raised in Stockton, California and was a First Team All-League selection at St. Mary’s High School in Stockton. He would hit .394 as a senior in high school and bats and throws right-handed.

2026 Players signed:

INF Cameron Bufford

C Caden Matlon

RHP Ryan Beaird

RHP Trey Morrill

LHP Ben DeTaeye

C Dillon Tatum

The Explorers are set to open their 33rd season in Siouxland on the road on Friday night, May 15, against the Chicago Dogs. The club will celebrate opening night at Lewis and Clark Park on Friday night, May 22, against the Lincoln Saltdogs. Ticket packages for the 2026 season along with sponsorship and partner opportunities are available now by calling by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS. Follow the Explorers social media channels and the club’s website xsbaseball.com for off-season news and updates.

 

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