Explorers Sign Former Rockie Bernabel
AA Sioux City Explorers

Explorers Sign Former Rockie Bernabel

Published on June 11, 2026 under American Association (AA)
Sioux City Explorers News Release


SIOUX CITY, Iowa - The Sioux City Explorers announced today that the team has signed former Major Leaguer Warming Bernabel to a contract. The native of the Dominican Republic is active for tonight's final game of a three-game series with the Sioux Falls Canaries.

Warming Bernabel, comes to Sioux City after a brief stint with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League in May. Bernabel signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals last December and was in spring training with the club, but he was released before the start of the regular season in March.

Bernabel made his MLB debut with the Rockies on July 26th, 2025, after a strong Triple-A season in which he batted .301/.356/.450 with eight home runs and 45 RBI in 75 games. He burst onto the scene in his first seven major league games, batting .500 with three home runs and earning National League Player of the Week honors for the week of July 28-August 3. He finished the season slashing .252/.288/.410 with four home runs and 14 RBI in 40 games.

Before reaching the majors, Bernabel climbed through Colorado's minor league system, passing through Double-A Hartford, High-A Spokane, and Single-A Fresno. He signed with the Colorado Rockies as an international free agent in 2018 and made his professional debut in 2019 at the age of 17 with the Dominican Summer League Rockies.

His development was interrupted by the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season due to the world-wide pandemic, but he returned in 2021, earning the Arizona Complex League Player of the Month Award in July as he climbed through the organization. Bernabel hit an eye popping .432 in 22 games and was promoted to Fresno where he hit .205 in 21 games to finish the season. He hit a combined seven home runs and drove in 38 runs in 43 games in 2021.

In 2022 he played in 91 games between low-A Fresno and high-A Spokane. He slashed a combined line of .313/.370/.499 with 14 home runs and 71 RBI. Bernabel added 23 stolen bases over the course of the season. He made the jump up another level in 2023 reaching Double-A Hartford in the Eastern League where he hit .225 with six home runs while driving in 28 in 83 games. Bernabel spent eight games with the ACL Rockies hitting two home runs in eight games with eight RBI.

Bernabel put together a solid season in 2024 at Hartford slashing a line of .263/.296/.359 with nine long balls and 64 RBI in 120 games. He added 12 stolen bases while finishing second on the club in RBI.

In his 2024 campaign with Hartford, Bernabel slashed a line of .263/.296/.359 with nine home runs, 64 RBI, and 12 stolen bases across 120 games. His 2025 season saw him spend 75 games at Triple-A Albuquerque hitting .301 with eight home runs and 45 RBI before the Major League call up. Bernabel hit .252 in 40 Major League games with four home runs and 14 RBI.

Bernabel is a native of Bani, Dominican Republic and his first name is a combination of his father's name, Warren, and his grandfather's name, Ming.

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American Association Stories from June 11, 2026


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