X’S ADD FORMER LEAGUE MVP
2017 Carolina League MVP Ademar Rifaela Joins Sioux City
Sioux City, IA (March 23rd, 2022) — The Sioux City Explorers have announced the signing of OF Ademar Rifaela to a 2022 American Association Contract.
2022 will be Rifaela’s 9th season of professional baseball and his first with the Explorers.
Ademar Rifaela previously spent seven seasons with the Baltimore Orioles organization where he reached as high as Triple-A, Norfolk in 2019.
The twenty-seven year old’s best season came in 2017 with the Frederick Keys, the Orioles High-A affiliate. He won the Carolina League MVP by hitting for a .284 average and a career high 24 home runs, 23 doubles and 78 RBI in 126 games.
In his final year with the O’s, Rifaela split time between double-A Bowie and triple-A Norfolk. Over the course of 98 games he hit at a .249 clip with 10 home runs, 11 doubles, 44 RBI and 41 runs scored.
He was released by the Orioles in 2020 and played overseas in the Dutch Major Leagues with Quick Amersfoot. A native of Willemstad, Curacao the left handed swinging bat played for team Netherlands in multiple international competitions. He even played in the 2007 Little League World Series as the team from Willemstad represented the Carribean in the tournament.
The Sioux City Explorers 30th year in Siouxland will begin at MercyOne Field at Lewis and Clark Park on May 17 versus the Lake Country DockHounds. Season, Group and Single Game Tickets are now all on sale and can be purchased by calling (712) 277-9467-