Mets announce AA coaching staff - minors taking shape

The following press release was issued yesterday by the press office of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies:

Binghamton Rumble Ponies Announce 2024 Coaching Staff

Reid Brignac to Return for Third Season Leading the Rumble Ponies

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Double-A Affiliate of the New York Mets, are pleased to announce their 2024 coaching staff. Reid Brignac returns along with Pitching Coach AJ Sager, Hitting Coach Darin Everson, and Bench Coach Mariano Duncan. Juan Loyo joins the staff as the team’s development coach. Brignac and his staff are coming off leading the Rumble Ponies to the Eastern League Championship Series in 2023 and their first playoff series victory since 2014.

Brignac (pronounced Brin-yac) begins his third year as manager of the Rumble Ponies and fifth year in the Mets organization, coming off leading the Rumble Ponies to the postseason for the first time since 2017. In 2023, under Brignac’s tutelage, the Ponies went on a second-half surge, going 39-27 overall and 17-5 over their last 22 games. Brignac’s team swept the Somerset Patriots in the Eastern League Division Series to lead the Ponies to the ELCS before falling to Erie.  

In 2022, he led a team that saw five players make their major league debut with the Mets after starting the season with the Rumble Ponies, tying a Binghamton franchise record (Francisco Álvarez, Brett Baty, José Butto, Nate Fisher, and Bryce Montes de Oca). Brignac also was the Mets’ representative on the Arizona Fall League coaching staff after that season, serving as the manager of the Peoria Javelinas. Brignac enjoyed a long and successful playing career, spending parts of nine years in the major leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Miami Marlins. He was initially drafted by the Rays in the second round of the 2004 MLB Draft. 

Sager begins his second season as the Rumble Ponies’ pitching coach and was named the Mets Minor League Staff Member of the Year for his efforts last year. Sager’s pitching staff in 2023 set a Binghamton franchise record with 15 shutouts and took home five Eastern League honors, highlighted by Mike Vasil winning Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for May and Dom Hamel being named EL Pitcher of the Month for September. Sager’s staff also ranked first among the 30 Double-A clubs in strike rate and walks issued, and second in opponent on-base percentage. On September 7 at Hartford, right-hander Joander Suarez threw the eighth no-hitter in franchise history, facing the minimum 21 batters over seven innings.

Sager previously spent 20 years coaching in the Detroit Tigers organization and pitched for parts of five seasons in the major leagues, playing for the San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, and Tigers as part of a 12-year professional career. In 123 major league appearances, the right-hander was 12-15, with five saves and a 5.36 ERA.

Everson begins his second season as the Rumble Ponies’ hitting coach and in the Mets organization. Last season, Everson guided an offense that notched seven walk-off wins, had a player have 4+ RBIs in a game 12 times, and saw two different players hit three homers in a single game (Jose Peroza, Luke Ritter). Everson spent the prior five seasons as the Colorado Rockies hitting coordinator. He also served as the organization’s Triple-A hitting coach in 2017, Double-A hitting coach from 2013-2014 and as the club’s Double-A manager from 2015-2016. 

Duncan begins his third year as bench coach with the Rumble Ponies and sixth year in the Mets organization. He previously served as the bench coach for the Brooklyn Cyclones (High-A) in 2021 and in the same role with Kingsport in 2019. The former infielder played 12 major league seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays. He is a two-time World Series champion (’90 Reds and ’96 Yankees) and was inducted into the Dominican Republic Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. 

Loyo joins the Rumble Ponies staff as the team’s development coach. Loyo is in his second year as a coach in the Mets organization. He spent last season as the development coach for the Mets High-A Affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones. Loyo compiled a career .263 batting average over 124 games in the Mets farm system from 2018-2022, appearing in at least one game at every level.

Re-joining the Ponies’ staff in 2024 is Athletic Trainer Vanessa Weisbach. Weisbach served as the Rumble Ponies’ athletic trainer in 2022 and is in her ninth year with the Mets organization. She also assisted the New York Mets Athletic Training Staff at the end of the 2022 season. Last season, Weisbach served as the athletic trainer for the Syracuse Mets, the Mets Triple-A Affiliate.

Returning for his third year as performance coach is Ryan Orr. Orr was named the Eastern League Strength Coach of the Year in 2023, which is voted on by the strength coaches around the league. Orr is in his fourth year in the Mets organization, previously serving as the strength coach for High-A Brooklyn in 2021. He previously was a performance coach for two seasons in the Los Angeles Angels organization. 

Also joining the Ponies’ staff is Baseball Analytics Analyst Will Moscato, Player Development Associate Hunter Broadbent, Nutrition Associate April Post, and Athletic Training Associate Rosalie Mumford. Clubhouse Manager Mike Vavalle returns for his eighth season with the Rumble Ponies and sixth season as home clubhouse manager.

The Rumble Ponies open the 2024 at Mirabito Stadium against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays Double-A Affiliate) on Friday, April 5. 

Season Tickets and flex booklets are currently on sale and can be purchased by visiting the Visions Federal Credit Union Starting Gate Box Office at Mirabito Stadium, on the phone at (607)-722-FUNN, or on our website www.bingrp.com

##RUMBLE PONIES##