All-Star OF Aklinski returning to Rockers

HIGH POINT, N.C. – All-star outfielder Ben Aklinski has signed a contract to return to the High Point Rockers in 2025. This will mark Aklinski’s fourth season with the Rockers and his fifth in the Atlantic League.

“Ben has been the rock that is really the foundation of our ballclub,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “He’s a leader in the clubhouse and a leader on the field. And it is tough to quantify just how valuable he has been as a player. He is a great hitter, an outstanding fielder, and he plays the game the right way. I can’t say enough about what he has brought to the Rockers.”

Aklinski has led the Rockers in games played, at-bats, and runs scored in each of his three seasons in High Point. He holds club records for the most runs scored in a season (114) and career (301), most grand slams in a season (3) and career (8), most RBI in a season (102) and career (268), and most extra base hits in a career (156). Aklinski is among the elite Atlantic League players with two 20-20 seasons (20 homers and 20 stolen bases) and one of just a handful with a 20-30 season (24 homers, 31 stolen bases) in 2024.

A member of the Atlantic League’s All-Defensive Team in 2024, Aklinski was named to the ALPB 2023 Postseason All-Star team and the 2022 Mid-Season All-Star team.

Perhaps the most telling statistic is that in Aklinski’s 382 games with the Rockers, High Point has taken the field with a record of under .500 just once. On the fourth day of the 2022 season, the Rockers were 1-2 after dropping two of three games in the season-opening series at Kentucky. The Rockers pulled even that day with a 2-2 record and have remained over .500 in every game since, a span of 379 games.

The Rockers open the 2025 campaign at Southern Maryland on Friday, April 25 and will play their first home game at Truist Point on Friday, May 2 against the Lexington Legends.