2024: Joined the Rockers 7/17 when he was acquired in a trade from York for a player to be named later … Hit .253 with eight homers and 44 RBI in 65 games with the Evs… Career Notes: A 13th round pick of the Cubs in 2011 MLB Draft out of Brookwood High in Snellville, GA… Hit .282 with 19 homers, 82 RBI and 46 stolen bases for York in 2023… Spent eight seasons with affiliated teams, all in the Cubs system . . . Reached AAA Iowa in 2018
Gilberto Jimenez
Gilberto Jimenez
2024: Recorded two hits in Rockers debut (7/5) … Career Notes: Dominican Republic native who came up through the Red Sox system including stops in Salem, Va. and Greenville, SC …. Hit .221 in 2023 in Greenville and .229 in Salem… Hit 16 homers and drove in 165 runs in 367 career games in the BoSox organization.
Martin Figueroa
Martin Figueroa
A versatile player who is comfortable at almost any position, Figueroa, 28, played with the New Jersey Jackals in 2023, hitting .256 with five homers and 19 RBI in 44 games. A native of Elizabeth, N.J., Figueroa was a very decorated player at the University of Rhode Island, setting school records for hits and runs scored in a game, and ranking among the school’s top 10 in season doubles and extra base hits. Drafted in the 32nd round by the Houston Astros in 2017, Figueroa spent the 2017 season in Greeneville, Tenn. and was with the St. Louis Cardinals in State College, Pa. in 2019. Figueroa has spent the last four seasons in the Frontier League, first with Sussex County from 2020-2022 and with the Jackals in 2023. As a junior at Rhode Island in 2016, Figueroa was the Atlantic 10 Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player and a second team All-A-10 selection as a sophomore in 2015.
Evan Edwards
Evan Edwards
Edwards joined the Rockers for spring training in 2024 after having reached Class AAA with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023 where he hit .273. A fourth round pick of the Miami Marlins in the 2019 MLB Draft, Edwards starred at NC State for two seasons, earning All-ACC third team honors in 2019. Edwards led the Wolfpack with 60 RBI as a senior and ranked among the top 15 in the ACC in every offensive category. Prior to his time in Raleigh, Edwards, 26, was a four-year starter at Southern Guilford High and a first team all-conference selection. He played for the High Point American Legion post in 2016.
Ben Aklinski
Ben Aklinski
8COLLEGE: Phoenix College/Kentucky
HIGH SCHOOL: Greenway HS, Phoenix, Ariz.
STATUS
• Signed as a free agent prior to the 2022 season and will start his third season as a Rocker in 2024
CAREER NOTES
• Is one of just two players in ALPB history with multiple 100-RBI seasons after driving in 102 in 2023 and 105 with Lexington in 2021
• Was one of just two players in the Atlantic League in 2021 to rank in the top four in home runs, RBI, runs scored and extra base hits
• Over the last three seasons, has more base hits (372) than any other ALPB player
• Holds the Rockers career record with five grand slams and tied for the career mark with four walk-off hits
2023
• Named to the Atlantic League Post-Season All-Star team after hitting .286 with 24 home runs and 102 RBI
• Led the Atlantic League with 114 runs scored, the third-highest total in league history
• Second in the ALPB with 102 RBI
• Set a club record with seven at-bats in a game at Spire City on 7/29/23
• Had a pair of five-hit games vs. Spire City on 7/29/23 and on 5/5/23
• Tied club record with 13 total bases vs. Spire City on 5/5/23 (2 2B, 2 HR, 1B)
• Ranks first in club history, drawing 144 walks in his two seasons
• Set Rockers record with three grand slams (7/9 vs. GAS; 7/29 vs. SPC; 8/1 vs. GAS)
• Led the Rockers in games played (123), at-bats (451), Runs (114), hits (129), walks (71), OPS (.914), sac flies (8) and HBP (17)
• Hit .381 in the postseason (8-for-21) with a homer and seven RBI and two runs scored
2022
• Spent the entire season with the Rockers, hitting .268 with 19 homers and 74 RBI
• Named to the ALPB Ballpark Digest Mid-Season All-Star team
• Ranked fourth in the ALPB in runs, sixth in doubles and sixth in extra base hits (55).
• Led the team in games played (121), at-bats (448), plate appearances (538), runs (93), doubles (33), walks (73), stolen bases (20)
• Led the team with 32 multi-hit games and four walk-off hits
• Tied for the team lead with two grand slams and had one of the Rockers’ two inside-the-park home runs
• Was 5-for-34 (.147) in eight postseason games with a home run, double and three RBI
• Hit an inside-the-park homer vs. Lexington 5/18/22
• Had a pair of walk-off hits vs. Staten Island in a single series including a walk-off single for 3-2 win on 5/20/22 and a 2-run HR on 5/22/22 in a 4-3 win
• Hit a walk-off grand slam 7/24/22 to beat Gastonia 7-6 at Truist Point
• Hit a walk-off sac fly to beat Lexington 5-4 on 8/24/22
2021
- Helped the Lexington Legends win the ALPB title in their first season in the league.
- Hit .290 with 28 home runs and 105 RBI
- Finished fourth in the ALPB in homers, second in RBI, third in total bases and second in runs scored.
- Hit 10 homers in 25 August contests and knocked in 38 runs in 30 September games
- Hit a three-run homer in the final game of Lexington’s Championship Series win over Long Island
- DH and played RF in six postseason games against Charleston (Division series) and Long Island (Championship series)
2019
- Promoted to A+ Clearwater (Florida State) and posted a .196 batting average in 51 games while fighting through injuries
- Spent time on the injured list and was assigned to multiple rehab assignments.
2018
- Taken in the 32nd round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft.
- Spent the majority of the season at A-Williamsport (New York-Penn) where he hit .255 with seven homers and 25 RBI.
- Member of the New York-Penn League All-Star team.
2017
- Named Second-Team All-America and led Phoenix College to a Southwest District championship…Honored as NJCAA Division II Defensive Player of the Year…Named ACCAC Player of the Year…Rawlings Gold Glove winner (OF)…Ranked among nation’s top players in doubles (2nd), total bases (2nd), runs (7th), triples (13th), home runs (13th) and RBI (25th)…Appeared in 64 games, hitting .364 (87-239) with a .448 on-base percentage and .703 slugging percentage…Scored 70 runs while hitting 27 doubles, six triples, 14 home runs and driving in 61….Walked 32 times against just 29 strikeouts with 168 total bases and four steals…NJCAA Division II NJCAA World Series all-tournament team…In 2016, named Second-Team All-ACCAC…Played for Kevin Kimball.
Second-Team JUCO All-American (2017)
- NJCAA Division II Defensive PLayer of the Year (2017)
- Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year (2017)
- Rawlings JUCO Gold Glove (2017)
- First-Team All-ACCAC (2017)
2016
- Second-Team All-ACCAC (2016)
2015
- Earned three letters at Greenway High School in Phoenix…Played for Matthew Denny…Won the state championship in 2014…Greenway was named Medium School National Champion by MaxPreps in 2014…Team tied state record with a 29-game win streak in 2013…Was named Second-Team All-State in 2014.
PERSONAL
- Benjamin Tyler Aklinski
- Pronounced “Uh-klin-ski”
- Son of Laura Ideus…Has an older brother, Joe, and a twin brother, Matt
- Also played golf in high school