SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2024
ZINN AND SHUMPERT ADDED FOR 2024
VERSATILE PIECES SET TO JOIN EXPLORERS
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers have announced that the team has signed a pair of versatile roster pieces in slick-fielding speedster, INF Delvin Zinn and former Atlanta and Washington farmhand, INF/OF Nick Shumpert. The pair bring the ability to cover three infield positions and all three outfield spots to the Explorers roster.
Delvin Zinn makes his return to Sioux City in 2024 after spending most of last season with the X’s. Zinn was originally acquired by the Explorers on May 27, 2023, in a trade with the Milwaukee Milkmen for a player to be named later. Zinn would hit the ground running for the X’s, stealing his first of 29 team-leading bases in his first game with Sioux City on May 27. Zinn would swipe four bags in his first three games and steal 11 consecutive bases before finally being caught on June 8. He would notch seven games with multiple stolen bases, including a three-bag effort on June 4 against Kane County.
In 80 games, the native of Pontotoc, Mississippi, hit .211 with three home runs and 18 RBI for the X’s. Zinn would slash a line of .211/.292/.314 while playing 34 games at shortstop and another 32 at second base. Zinn would add to his versatility by playing another six games in the outfield for the Explorers. He would play in five games for the Milwaukee Milkmen, going 1-for-15 with two stolen bases before being traded to Sioux City. In the field, Zinn would have a fielding percentage of .980, committing only five errors during the season.
The Mississippi native finished the season on a six-game hitting streak. He went 2-for-4 with a double on the final day of the season then would go 6-for-18 in five playoff games for the X’s. Zinn had two key RBI in an 8-6 win in game one of the American Association Division Series at Fargo. He would wrap a double, going 1-for-4 as the Explorers took a 1-0 series lead over the RedHawks. Zinn would have a season-high three-RBI game on July 5 in a 5-0 win over the Winnipeg Goldeyes at Lewis and Clark Park. He would go 3-for-5 with a homerun to secure a series sweep for Sioux City.
Zinn, originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 28thround of the 2015 June Draft out of Pontotoc High School, chose to attend Mississippi State University. The Cubs would call his name again in the 23rd round in 2016 while playing at Itawamba Community College (Fulton, MS), and he would make his professional debut at rookie-level Arizona later that summer.
Zinn spent six years in the Chicago organization, reaching AA. He brings versatility to the Explorers roster, having played in both the infield and outfield while in the Cubs system. In 2022 with the Cubs organization, he played all his games at the AA level, having 138 plate appearances across 49 games, with a .137 batting average. In 2021, his first year at AA Tennessee, he played in 27 games with the Smokies where he had a .159 average; most of his season, however, was spent with High-A South Bend where he played 67 games, hitting four home runs while also earning a .300 on-base percentage.
In 2019, Zinn split time between High-A Myrtle Beach and Low-A South Bend in the Cubs organization. At High-A, he hit .242 with 16 stolen bases over 222 plate appearances while at Low-A he batted .273 with a .341 OBP, .705 OPS and 14 stolen bases through 258 plate appearances. In 2018, he made his first appearance at Low-A South Bend, playing the entire season there and batting .286 over 59 games. In 2016 and 2017, Zinn played in the Arizona Rookie League, playing infield in 51 games between the two seasons and batting .21 for the Cubs.
Nick Shumpert will make his return to the American Association where he made previous stops at Cleburne and Fargo-Moorhead after spending 2023 with the Washington Nationals organization. He would play in 42 games for Wilmington in the South Atlantic League last season, hitting .168 with three home runs and seven RBI. Shumpert would steal six bases in seven attempts while playing seven games at shortstop, seven at second base and another six at third base. Shumpert would also play all three outfield positions while with Wilmington.
In 2022, Shumpert would play 91 games for the Cleburne Railroaders, hitting eight homers while driving in 50 runs. He would slash a line of .265/.310/.421 while stealing 29 bases for Cleburne. His four triples were good for second on the club while his base total also placed him second behind perennial league All-Star, Zach Nehrir. Shumpert launched four grand slam home runs, setting a single season franchise record for Cleburne.
Shumpert played in 16 games with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and 77 contests with Lancaster of the Atlantic League in 2021. He hit .216 with one home run and six RBI for the RedHawks and hit .204 in Lancaster with another dinger and 22 RBI. In 2020 he would appear in the All-American Baseball Challenge League for 22 games, hitting .315 with three home runs and 11 RBI.
In 2019 Shumpert played in 10 games for Sussex County in the Can-Am League, hitting .087 and another 30 with Trinidad in the Pecos League where he slashed a line of .377/.432/.598 with six home runs and 23 RBI. Shumpert also spent the 2018-2019 winter season playing for the Adelaide Bite in the Australian Baseball League.
Shumpert would spend parts of three seasons with the Atlanta Braves organization, reaching Triple-A with the Gwinnett Stripers in 2018. He would go 1-for-6 with a strikeout in 2 games at the end of the season at AAA but spend most of the season at rookie-level Danville. In 48 games he hit two home runs with 18 RBI in 48 games while hitting at a ,248 clip. Shumpert would add 43 games to his resume at Danville in 2017, hitting .216 with 14 RBI and would hit .189 in 16 games at rookie-level Gulf Coast in 2016.
During his time with the Braves system, Shumpert hit .224/.272/.332 with 21 doubles, five triples, three home runs, 39 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases in 119 games of affiliated minor league baseball. On the base paths as a professional, the Colorado native has 118 stolen bases in 172 attempts. Atlanta would make him their 28th round selection in 2016 out of San Jacinto College in Houston, Texas.
Shumpert played high school ball at Highlands Ranch High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado and was committed to the University of Kentucky until he was drafted out of high school by the Detroit Tigers in the seventh round of the 2015 draft. He would not sign with Detroit but rather chose to go to San Jacinto Junior College where the Braves would call his name the next season. Shumpert has a pair of pro baseball connections in his family. His father, Terry Shumpert, spent parts of 14 seasons in the Major Leagues and his cousin is current Major Leaguer Mookie Betts.
2024 Players signed:
INF/OF Nick Shumpert
INF Delvin Zinn
LHP Jared Wetherbee
RHP Pedro Gonzalez
INF/OF Brennen Dorighi
RHP Heitor Tokar
RHP Braunny Munoz
RHP Kyle Bloor
C Jake Ortega
C Wilfredo Gimenez
OF Scott Ota
INF Daniel Lingua,
INF Daniel Pérez
RHP John Sheaks
The Explorers are set to open their 31st season in the Siouxland at home Friday night, May 10th at 7:05 p.m. against the Kansas City Monarchs. Ticket packages for the 2024 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 off-season news and updates.