Explorers Welcome Two Infielders
AA Sioux City Explorers

Explorers Welcome Two Infielders

Published on November 25, 2025 under American Association (AA)
Sioux City Explorers News Release


SIOUX CITY, Iowa - The Sioux City Explorers have announced that the team has signed utility infielder Braulio Vasquez and first baseman and designated hitter Alberto Osuna to contracts for the 2026 season. The pair are the seventh and eighth roster additions of the offseason for the Explorers and Manager Steve Montgomery.

Braulio Vasquez brings an impressive resume showcasing his ability to play all over the diamond for the Explorers in 2026. The native of the Dominican Republic has played 160 games at third base, 86 at first base and 83 at second base in his career. He has also played another 18 games at shortstop and has seen time in the outfield as well in his eight-year professional career. He comes to Sioux City after playing three games in Triple-A Mexico with Leon in 2025 and 101 games in Japan in 2024 with Kufu Hayate of the Western League. In Japan, Vasquez hit .262 with 31 RBI while slashing a line of .262/.309/.305 for the highest minor league level in Japan. He finished the season in Japan with 15 stolen bases, good for third on the club.

Vasquez, a switch hitter who throws right-handed, spent from 2016 to 2022 with the Atlanta Braves organization. The versatile infielder signed with Atlanta in July of 2016 as a free agent and would reach high-A in the Braves system. In 2022, he played 66 games with Augusta in the Carolina League, hitting .263 with two home runs and 25 RBI while stealing 26 bases. His 26 stolen bases tied him for second on the team for the season. Vasquez played three games at high-A Rome in the South Atlantic League during the 2022 season with just seven at bats in his short time in Rome. In the winter season of 2022-2023 and in 2021 and 2022, Vasquez took the field in his native Dominican Republic with Estrellas of the Dominican Winter League.

In 2021 Vasquez played a MiLB career-high 74 games at Augusta where he slammed six home runs and drove in 23 runs for the Green Jackets. He would slash a line of .220/.340/.350 while burning up the base paths with a team-leading 40 stolen bases and finishing third in the league in that category. Vasquez did not play in 2020 with the MiLB shutdown for the season, but he was on the field for 52 games at Rome in the A-level South Atlantic League in 2019. He hit .209 with one homer and 13 RBI with Rome while spending two stints on the injured list during the season.

Vasquez spent the 2018 and 2017 seasons in the Gulf Coast Rookie League for Atlanta. He slashed a .269/.317/.407 hitting line in 2018 with four home runs and 20 RBI in 45 games and added a slash line of .270/.371/.329 in 47 games in 2017 with 16 RBI. In his first professional season in 2016, Vasquez played in 28 games in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .333 with six RBI and 11 stolen bases after signing with the Braves earlier in the summer. The 26 year old was born in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and will turn 27 on April 26.

Alberto Osuna comes to Sioux City after spending his true rookie season playing in 53 games at Staten Island in the Atlantic League in 2025. He hit .253 with four home runs and 27 RBI last season while finishing with a line of .253/.380/.367 and anchoring first base in 53 games. Osuna joined the Atlantic League after a college career where he clubbed 45 home runs in three seasons at the University of North Carolina and was the NJCAA DI player of the year in 2021 at Walters State Community College, slugging another 25 long balls in his first collegiate season. Osuna transferred to the University of Tennessee in 2025, but due to legalities, he was not eligible to play for the Volunteers last season.

In 2024 Osuna played and started 62 games for the University of North Carolina. He launched 14 home runs and finished his three seasons at Chapel Hill fifth on the school's all-time list in home runs. Osuna finished his last college season with a career high in home runs, runs (43), doubles (17) and walks (34). He would slash a line of .281/.376/.537 with 56 RBI his final season with North Carolina. Osuna made 48 starts and played in a total of 52 games as a junior at UNC in 2023. He would hit 11 home runs with 27 RBI while slashing a line of .223/.336/.453.

Osuna played 63 games, starting in 61 in 2022 as a Sophomore at North Carolina as the team's designated hitter. He became the first junior college transfer in program history to hit 20 home runs in his first season at UNC. Osuna would hit .265 with 20 home runs and 57 team-leading RBI on the season. He would slash a line of .265/.360/.551 while leading the team in long balls over the course of the season. Osuna has 16 multi-RBI games with another 14 multi-hit games for the Tar Heels. In three seasons at UNC, Osuna played 177 games with 45 home runs and 140 RBI, and he added five games with two home runs for the Tar Heels. He was named to the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament team following his final season with North Carolina as the team won the regular season ACC title.

The South Carolina native spent his first season in college at Walters State Community College (Morristown, Tennessee), earning First Team All-American. Osuna hit .459 with 25 home runs and led the country with 107 RBI in 68 games. He set new school highs in hits (106) and RBI during the 2021 season. Osuna helped lead the Walters State team to their best record in program history at 61-7 and their third straight trip to the NJCAA Division I World Series. He would play in 19 games during the Covid-shortened season of 2020.

Osuna grew up in Mauldin, South Carolina and played his high school ball at Mauldin High School. He was a member of the honor society and student council off the field while being named to the 2019 SCBCA all-state team. Osuna was a two-time all-region player while in high school.

2026 Players signed:

INF Cameron Bufford

C Caden Matlon

RHP Ryan Beaird

RHP Trey Morrill

LHP Ben DeTaeye

C Dillon Tatum

IF Braulio Vasquez

IF Alberto Osuna

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 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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