HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point Rockers centerfielder Ben Aklinski on Thursday was named the Atlantic League’s Defensive Player of the Year in voting conducted by the ALPB managers.

For the fourth-year Rockers outfielder, it is his third award of the week. He was named to the Drake All-Defensive Team on Tuesday and was selected as a Postseason All-Star on Wednesday. He is the first High Point Rocker to earn the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor.

Aklinski had a .992 fielding percentage in 117 games this past season, handling 263 chances with just two errors. He was third among ALPB outfielders in chances.

Following the Rockers final regular season home game, Aklinski told the fans at Truist Point that the 2025 season would be his final year before returning to college to pursue an advanced degree. One of the premier players in league history, Aklinski owns nearly every Rockers offensive record including games played, hits, runs scored, RBIs, doubles, triples and grand slams. Including his 2021 season with the Lexington Legends, Aklinski put together a five-year ALPB career in which he was a two-time Postseason All-Star, a two-time All-Defensive team honoree and a two-time Mid-Season All-Star.

Aklinski will leave his mark in the Atlantic League record book as well, finishing fourth all-time with 132 home runs, sixth with 518 runs scored and 10^th with 469 RBI.

Earlier on Thursday, Rockers manager Jamie Keefe was named the Atlantic League’s Manager of the Year.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point Rockers manager Jamie Keefe on Thursday was named the Atlantic League Manager of the Year. Voting for the award was conducted by the ALPB managers.

In 2025, Keefe led the Rockers to the playoffs for the fourth time in his six seasons in High Point. Under Keefe’s leadership, the Rockers posted a 41-22 first half record, winning the South Division by five games over the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The Rockers would go on to defeat the Gastonia Ghost Peppers in the South Division Championship Series and advance to the League Championship Series. The York Revolution downed the Rockers 3-1 in the LCS to claim a second consecutive ALPB championship.

“This was a very special team we had this year,” said Keefe. “They were self-motivated, had each other’s back and battled to the last out every night. While I am humbled by this award, this really is a reflection of the high caliber men in that clubhouse and they deserve all the credit.”

The only manager the Rockers have known, Keefe has posted a record of 435-332 with two South Division half-season championships.

For Keefe, it marks his first Atlantic League Manager of the Year award and the fourth of his career. During his time managing in the Can-Am Association, he was named the Manager of the Year in 2011 while coaching the Pittsfield Colonials and again in 2014 and 2015 while leading the Rockland Boulders.

Keefe’s success as a manager is not limited to the 2025 season. His 435 wins as the Rockers’ manager is more than any other Atlantic League team over the past six seasons. His 1207 wins and 1014 losses over his 21 seasons as a manager is a winning percentage of .543, higher than that of well-known MLB managers such as Terry Francona (.540), Joe Torre (.538) and Tony La Russa (.537).

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point Rockers outfielders Ben Aklinski and Luis Gonzalez were each named to the Atlantic League Postseason All-Star team on Wednesday. The 13-member team represents the top players from around the league as voted on by the ALPB managers.

Aklinski, who recently completed his fourth season with the Rockers, became just the second player in league history to join the 30-30 club with 32 homers and 31 stolen bases. Aklinski posted a .283 batting average in 2025 and finished third in the league with 112 runs scored. During his four seasons with the Rockers, Aklinski set records in almost every offensive category. He is High Point’s career leader in games played, runs scored, home runs, RBIs, doubles, triples and grand slams.

Gonzalez, in his first year with the Rockers after having spent time in the Major Leagues with the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants, hit .297 with 21 homers, 73 RBI and 36 stolen bases. He was fourth in the league with 110 runs scored and had a 37-game on-base streak during the regular season. As High Point’s right fielder, Gonzalez provided outstanding defense, having committed just one error in 2025.

Gonzalez and Aklinski give the Rockers eight players to have been named to the Postseason All-Star Team. Aklinski is a repeat member, having been named to the squad in 2023. Gonzales was previously an MLB.com Organization All-Star in the White Sox system in 2019, and the National League Rookie of the Month with the San Francisco Giants in May 2022.

Gonzalez and Aklinski were joined in the All-Star outfield by Gastonia’s Justin Wylie and Long Island’s River Town.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers on Monday received the Atlantic League’s Player Transfer Award for 2025 for having the greatest number of players moving forward to Major League Baseball organizations and foreign leagues.

The Rockers moved 10 player contracts during the 2025 season while the Long Island Ducks and Gastonia Ghost Peppers each had six player contracts selected.

Notable among High Point’s transfers were right-handed pitcher Peter Solomon who joined the Chicago Cubs organization, and left-handed pitcher Jacob Edwards who was acquired by the Cincinnati Reds. Catcher Luke Napleton and first baseman Evan Edwards also had their contracts purchased mid-season.

A number of Rockers advanced to the Mexican League during the 2025 season including pitchers Kent Emanuel, Kyle Barraclough, Matt Solter and Tommy Doyle as well as outfielder Jordan Luplow. Rockers OF Luis Gonzalez was loaned to the Acereros de Monclova during the Mexican League playoffs before returning to High Point and helping lead the Rockers to the Atlantic League Championship Series.

The Rockers in 2025 completed their sixth consecutive winning season by winning the South Division in the first half and dispatching the Gastonia Ghost Peppers in a five-game South Division Championship Series. High Point advanced to its second League Championship Series before falling to the York Revolution.

Opening Day for the 2026 season is set for Tuesday, April 21, 2026 when the Rockers host Gastonia at Truist Point.

The High Point Rockers have tied the professional baseball record for grand slams in a season this year with 14.

Only four other professional baseball teams have hit as many grand slams in a season. At the Major League level, the 2006 Cleveland Indians and the 2000 Oakland A’s each hit 14.

At the minor league level, the Class AAA 2022 Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado) mashed 14 slams as did the Class AAA 2023 St. Paul Saints (Minnesota).

The Rockers have set a club record for bases-loaded homers this year and broke the previous Atlantic League record of 10 set by the York Revolution in 2024.

This season, the Rockers grand slam bonanza has been led by Ben Aklinski with four and Evan Edwards with three. Also slugging grand slams in 2025 were SS Aidan Brewer, C Nolan Watson, C Isaiah Mirabal, OF Alex Dickerson, INF Max Viera, 3B Drew Mendoza and DH Braxton Davidson.

Remarkably, the Rockers hit at least one grand slam in each month of the season.

High Point opens the Atlantic League postseason on Saturday, September 20 at the Gastonia Ghost Peppers.

 

2025 High Point Grand Slams (14)

Date    Hitter  Opponent       Inning Opp Pitcher

4/26/25             Aidan Brewer at So. Maryland            2nd       Ian Kahaloa

5/9/25               Evan Edwards               at Gastonia     5th        Justus Sheffield

5/11/25             Ben Aklinski    at Gastonia     3rd        Kevin Smith

5/13/25             Nolan Watson               at Lexington    7th        Jimmy Loper

5/30/25             Ben Aklinski    Hagerstown    4th        David Richardson

5/31/25             Ben Aklinski    Hagerstown    6th        Donald Goodson

6/22/25             Isaiah Mirabal               at Lexington    7th        Dustin Beggs

6/26/25             Alex Dickerson             at Gastonia     5th        Jackson Boxx

7/17/25             Max Viera         at York (Gm 1) 3rd        Dallas Woolfolk

8/1/25              Braxton Davidson       at Lexington    5th        Wilson Castillo

8/17/25             Evan Edwards (2nd)   at Charleston 7th        Edison Suriel

8/20/25             Evan Edwards (3rd)    vs. Lexington  1st        Patrick Wicklander

9/10/25             Ben Aklinski (4th)        at So. Maryland            7th        Brandon McCabe

9/16/25             Drew Mendoza             vs. Charleston              4th        Maceo Campbell