Explorers Add Slugger Rhett Aplin
Rhett Aplin will be playing in his third season of professional baseball and first with the Sioux City Explorers.
Aplin was a 28th round draft pick in 2018 for the Kansas City Royals. He spent the last two seasons with the Royals rookie level affiliates.
There he played exclusively first base while appearing in 119 games. At the dish he hit for a .307 average, swatting 10 home runs and 20 doubles. He drove in 60 RBI while scoring 66 runs. A patient batter, he drew 60 walks in his two seasons with the Royals.
Most of his numbers came during the 2019 campaign where he hit .310 over 68 games. He hit all 10 of his professional home runs that season and collected 42 RBI and 14 doubles.
The 25 year old Florida native stayed in state collegiately, playing for the Florida State Seminoles. In those two seasons with the ‘Noles, Aplin played in 107 games, hitting .309 with eight home runs, 27 doubles, 59 RBI and 71 runs scored.
He was a part of the 2017 Florida State team that made it to the College World Series in Omaha used primarily as an outfielder before making the switch to first base for his senior season committing only two errors in 485 chances for a .986 fielding percentage.
by Connor Ryan, Sioux City Explorers