RubberDucks President and General Manager Jim Pfander Named Double-A Executive of the Year
EL Akron RubberDucks

RubberDucks President and General Manager Jim Pfander Named Double-A Executive of the Year

Published on October 13, 2025 under Eastern League (EL)
Akron RubberDucks News Release


(AKRON, OHIO) - Minor League Baseball announced Akron RubberDucks President and General Manager Jim Pfander was named 2025 Double-A Executive of the Year last week at the MiLB Business Summit in Indianapolis, IN.

Votes for the 2025 Minor League Baseball Awards were cast by League Executives and MLB staff. By earning Double-A Executive of the Year, Pfander was a finalist for MiLB Executive of the Year alongside Brad Shank of the Columbia Fireflies (Single-A) and Rob Zerjav of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (High-A). Chip Maxen of the Sacramento River Cats was the Triple-A Executive of the Year and overall winner of the MiLB Executive of the Year award.

"I am honored and humbled to be named Double-A Executive of the Year," RubberDucks President and General Manager Jim Pfander said. "This is an incredible recognition of the fantastic work done by our entire front office staff, game day staff and interns. Their tireless efforts to bring Affordable. Family. Fun. to Akron over 69 home games during the regular season as well as 12 months a year to our community are the reason for this honor. I want to thank Ken Babby for bringing me back home to Akron nearly a decade and a half ago and allowing me to be a steward of my hometown club. I also want to congratulate Brad Shank, Rob Zerjav and Chip Maxen for their incredible seasons and well-deserved honors. It was truly humbling to be part of this incredible group of leaders in our industry who make a real difference in the communities they live, work and play in."

During the 2025 season, the RubberDucks drew 274,686 fans through the gates of Canal Park. This amazing support from the best fans in baseball marked the second largest increase in attendance from the 2024 season for any MiLB team that did not open a new ballpark in 2025. On July 30, the RubberDucks welcomed the 10 millionth fan through the gates since the ballpark opened in 1997.

2025 saw the debut of a brand-new videoboard inside the ballpark, which increased the digital footprint by more than 200%. The privately funded videoboard project was part of the more than $18 million in privately invested improvements to the ballpark that Pfander has overseen since 2013. Additionally, thanks to the continued incredible partnership with the City of Akron, the club was able to modernize and completely renovate all concourse restrooms before the start of the season.

Pfander and the RubberDucks were also active in the community during the season volunteering each month at local non-profits giving back more than 50 hours in community service per full-time staff member. At the ballpark, the RubberDucks raised nearly $30,000 for Habitat for Humanity of Summit County via 50/50 ticket sales, collected more than $15,000 for the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank via the Round UP program, and raised nearly $4,400 for local charities thanks to donation of $1 from the sales of Extreme Foods items via a partnership with Rubber City Radio Group.

Under Pfander's leadership over the past 14 years, the 2025 season was a record-breaking season with the club surpassing a number of milestones. The RubberDucks have also seen multiple staff members grow within their roles and earn awards and national recognition during Pfander's time in Akron.

The Akron RubberDucks are the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. The RubberDucks 2026 season at 7 17 Credit Union Park begins on Thursday, April 2 against the Reading Fightin Phils. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 330-253-5151 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, or visit akronrubberducks.com/. For more information about the team, please call 330-253-5151, visit the website at akronrubberducks.com, Facebook page facebook.com/AkronRubberDucks, or on Twitter @AkronRubberDuck, and Instagram @akronrubberducks.

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