Minor League Coaching Thread

[Ro Mueller]

Manager Rick Sweet is back to coach the AAA 2025 Nashville Sounds.

We're going with 2 pitching coaches this year, including Justin Meccage coming over from the Pirates and Bryan Leslie (also Lead Strategist of Pitching Development) focusing on one affiliate for the first time.

And we've got 2 hitting coaches again, with Tim Doherty bumping up 2 levels from Wisconsin and Zack Jones joining from the Phillies/Driveline. 

 

[Ro Mueller]

Manager Joe Ayrault also returns in 2025 to coach the AA Biloxi Shuckers, which is great to see after he missed some time in 2024 for health reasons.

As @Jim Goulart highlighted above, hitting coach Kevin Martir has joined from the Yankees' organization. 

 

[Ro Mueller]

2024 Midwest League Manager of the Year Victor Estevez will helm the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers again in 2025.

It's worth noting hitting coach Evan Berliner's leap from the Arizona Complex League two levels to the cold north. 

 

[Ro Mueller]

2024 Carolina League Manager of the Year Nick Stanley is also back, ready to coach the Low-A Carolina Mudcats again.

They're going with two pitching coaches this year, including Paul Moeller (2024 Biloxi bullpen coach) and Blake Nation (2024 ACL Brewers pitching coach). 

 

[Ro Mueller]

@BrewersPD also unveiled our Player Development and Performance personnel for 2025. I note that Will Schierholz and J.J. Reimer were Biloxi's pitching and hitting coaches last year. 

 

[Ro Mueller]

Some excitement for former Brewer RHP Tyler Thornburg (9 MLB seasons in all) joining Biloxi as an associate coach: 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Hey now...not only is Tyler Thornburg back and making his coaching debut BUT so is 2021-2022 Sounds 'legend' Matt Lipka! This is awesome.

[Ro Mueller]

I had wondered if the Meccages were related. Also, it's apparently pronounced "message": 

 

[Playing Catch]

17 hours ago, Ro Mueller said:

Also, it's apparently pronounced "message"

How many times will this meccage need repeating?

[Jim Goulart]

We find out officially from the Manager that he was battling cancer in 2024. As it should be, the very first time that word was mentioned here. We just didn’t know but were always hoping for the best for Joe. Awesome interview, Javik…

[Jim Goulart]

 

[Jim Goulart]

Thank you Adam for the story, way to go, Joe!

 

[Jim Goulart]

Particularly if you are viewing in a Chrome browser, I'm hopeful a translate to English prompt is just a click away.

2025 Timber Rattlers Coach Marcelo Alfonsín, entering his second season in the organization, is profiled in a lengthy feature and Q&A about his background in Argentina, not a country we consider as a baseball hotbed. It's a fine read if you're able to convert.

Marcelo Alfonsín: The Argentine coach who is making his way in the Minor Leagues

[Jim Goulart]

 

[Ro Mueller]

Listing out DSL/ACL coaching staffs based on the team MILB pages :

ACL Brewers:

• Manager - Rafael Neda
• Bench Coach - Fidel Pena
• Hitting Coach - Luisa Gauci
• Pitching Coach - Jesus Hernandez
• Pitching Coach - Patrick McGuff
• Development Coach - Tyson Cooper

DSL Brewers Gold

• Manager - Natanael Mejia
• Hitting Coach - Joan Abreu
• Pitching Coach - Gerry Salisbury
• Coach - Aritz Garcia

DSL Brewers Blue

• Manager - Victor Rey (previously listed as Dominican Republic Field Coordinator)
• Hitting Coach - Jose Garcia
• Pitching Coach - Carlos Pimentel
• Coach - Robinzon Diaz

[Jim Goulart]

 

[Jim Goulart]

Best wishes. Marcelo was a coach with the 2025 Timber Rattlers, with a primary but not exclusive pitching focus.

 

[Jim Goulart]

Moving on to the Rangers organization but safe to say Turner had a successful two-year run as Hitting Coach of the Mudcats (prior to that, two seasons with the Crew in the Dominican League).

 

[Joseph Zarr]

11 hours ago, Jim Goulart said:

Moving on to the Rangers organization but safe to say Turner had a successful two-year run as Hitting Coach of the Mudcats (prior to that, two seasons with the Crew in the Dominican League).

 

With Turner heading to the Rangers, I am revisiting appreciating this interview with Chris Edwards back in July:

He was a great ambassador for the Brewers organizational hitting philosophy. Loved his intensity and clarity. He had many a good thing to say about some of our favorite prospects in this interview. I bid him a fond farewell and wish him all the best. With his departure, we await the potential promotion from within or the addition from outside the org.

[Spencer Michaelis]

It appears DSL coach Aritz Garcia will be moving on from the organization as well. His Instagram post is below, in which he says, “I’ve made the choice to return home, to give my loved ones the quality time they truly deserve and to help develop the game of baseball in Spain and across Europe.”

Aritz Garcia (@capitan_ag) • Instagram photos and videos

WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM

---

418 likes, 21 comments - capitan_ag on October 12, 2025: "My time with the Milwaukee Brewers has come to an end. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work...

 

[Jim Goulart]

On 10/10/2025 at 4:00 PM, Jim Goulart said:

Best wishes. Marcelo was a coach with the 2025 Timber Rattlers, with a primary but not exclusive pitching focus.

 

Moving on to --

 

[Jim Goulart]

 

[Jim Goulart]

 

[Jim Goulart]

That's two lead Pitching Coaches pilfered - Nashville's Justin Meccage to the MLB Giants. O'Neal will be focusing on complex-level arms.

 

[Jim Goulart]

Actually this appears to impact both the MiLB and MLB staffs given Sandoval's promotion: