X's Add Plenty of Strikeouts to Pitching Staff
Published on March 5, 2021 under American Association (AA)
Sioux City Explorers News Release
Sioux City, IA - The Sioux City Explorers have announced the signings of LHP Brett Adcock and RHP Matt Quintana for the 2021 season.
Adcock will be playing in his fifth season of professional baseball and his first in Sioux City.
An intimidating figure on the mound, the 2021 season will be Adcock's first season in independent baseball after spending the last four in the Houston Astros organization.
Houston drafted Adcock in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of the University of Michigan. Pitching for the Maize and Blue, the lefty enjoyed a stellar career in which he went 24-13 making him the sixth most winningest pitcher in Michigan history. He also finished his collegiate career ranked sixth in school history in strikeouts with 256.
Overall in his time at Ann Arbor, he held a 3.09 ERA through 60 games, 35 starts, and 221.2 innings. He flashed elite strikeout potential during those three seasons with a career 10.4 K/9 while also finishing inside the top ten in the Big Ten Conference in punch outs.
After an injury cut Adcock's first professional season short, he bounced back in 2017 splitting time between Class-A, Quad Cities and High-A, Buies Creek. Between the two stops he put together a 5-4 record with a 3.93 ERA over 25 games, 18 starts. In 107.2 innings of work he racked up 117 strikeouts. That amount of punch outs equaled out to a 9.8 K/9. This was anchored by a 14.1 K/9 thanks to his incredible 37 strikeouts over 23.2 innings of work for Quad Cities.
Staying in High-A, Buies Creek to begin the 2018 season, Adcock picked up where he left off and then some. He was named a Carolina League Mid-Season All Star which helped earn his promotion to Double-A, Corpus Christi. Overall in 2018, Adcock went 9-5 with a sparkling 2.89 ERA and struck out 95 over 106 innings and 25 games.
The Michigan native, did not play in 2020 leaving 2019 as the last time he pitched before he eventually climbs the bump in Sioux City. He spent the 2019 season in Double-A appearing in 23 games, making 19 starts striking out 87 batters in 87.1 innings.
In four seasons with the Astros, the 25 year old went a combined 16-17 in 76 games, 54 starts with a 4.45 ERA striking out 305 batters in 305.1 innings.
Quintana will also be entering his fifth season of professional baseball and first with the Explorers.
He was initially acquired by the X's via trade on December 10th, 2020.
Quintana has made a career for himself in independent baseball, playing in the Atlantic League, Frontier League and the American Association.
The 27 year old pitched last season for the St. Paul Saints appearing in eight total games and four starts. In 29 innings he had a 7.14 ERA and recorded 36 strikeouts for a K/9 of 11.2 while issuing only six free passes. Quintana proved to be incredibly versatile for the Saints. If he wasn't starting for St. Paul that day, he was providing long relief out of the bullpen. In his four relief appearances he went at least three innings in three of them.
The West Hartford, Connecticut native spent his first two professional seasons in the Atlantic League. Appearing in three games for the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2017. And then in ten games the following year for the New Britain Bees.
He made a name for himself in 2019 purely as a starter while pitching for the Joliet Slammers and Evansville Otters in the Frontier League. He made 19 starts, putting together an 8-3 record and a 3.12 ERA. In only 109.2 innings his 124 strikeouts ranked fourth best in the Frontier League that season.
Before joining the St. Paul Saints, Quintana pitched for the Saints of Siena College in Loudonville, NY. In four years he went 11-6 with a 3.32 ERA over 173.2 innings and 138 strikeouts. His 82 career appearances rank second all time in school history and he holds the single season school record with 28 appearances during his junior season.
With the signings of LHP Brett Adcock and RHP Matt Quintana the Explorers have now signed 15 players to a 2021 contract (10 pitchers, 5 position players)
LHP Brett Adcock
RHP Nick Belzer
RHP Nate Gercken
RHP Danny Hrbek
RHP Max Kuhns
LHP Jairo Labourt
LHP Patrick Ledet
RHP Matt Quintana
RHP Joe Riley
RHP Carlos Sierra
C Justin Felix
INF Josh Allen
OF Chase Harris
OF Eury Perez
OF Sebastian Zawada
The Sioux City Explorers 29th year in Siouxland will begin at MercyOne Field at Lewis and Clark Park on May 18th versus the Houston Apollos.
American Association Stories from March 5, 2021
- Southpaw Foriest Returns to Railroaders - Cleburne Railroaders
- X's Add Plenty of Strikeouts to Pitching Staff - Sioux City Explorers
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