Nationals set minor league coaching staffs

Now that Major League Baseball has announced minor league affiliations and schedules for the 2021 season, the Nationals took care of one remaining piece of unfinished business Friday afternoon, announcing their minor league coaching staffs for the upcoming campaign.

Matt LeCroy will move up a level to manage Triple-A Rochester after spending the 2016-19 seasons as the skipper at Double-A Harrisburg. In his 13th season in the Nationals organization, LeCroy served as minor league quality control coordinator in 2020. He formerly spent two seasons as a bullpen coach for the Nats.

Harrisburg's new manager is Tripp Keister, who begins his 10th season in the organization at the helm of the Senators. He spent the previous six seasons managing high Single-A Potomac and Fredericksburg. Keister led the Potomac Nationals to postseason appearances in 2014, 2016 and 2018, and won the Mills Cup in 2014.

Tommy Shields returns to the dugout for the first time since 2012-14 as manager of high Single-A Wilmington. He previously led Kansas City's short-season Single-A affiliate in Burlington, N.C. Shields, who enters his seventh season in the Nationals system, will retain his role as co-field coordinator.

Mario Lisson begins his first season as the manager at low Single-A Fredericksburg after being tabbed to lead low Single-A Hagerstown in 2020. He spent the previous two seasons as the manager of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Nationals.

Jake Lowery will take over the GCL Nats, his first season in that role. Lowery, a former professional catcher, spent nine seasons in the minor leagues of the Nationals (2016-19) and Indians (2011-15).

Here are the coaching assignments for the Nationals minor leagues in 2021:

Triple-A Rochester: Matt LeCroy, manager; Brian Daubach, hitting coach; Miguel Tejera, pitching coach; Eric Montague, athletic trainer; Mike Warren, strength and conditioning coach.

Double-A Harrisburg: Tripp Keister, manager; Brian Rupp, hitting coach; Sam Narron, pitching coach; TD Swinford, athletic trainer; RJ Guyer, strength and conditioning coach.

High Single-A Wilmington: Tommy Shields, manager, co-field coordinator; Luis Ordaz, hitting coach; Justin Lord, pitching coach; Don Neidig, athletic trainer; Shane Hill, strength and conditioning coach.

Low Single-A Fredericksburg: Mario Lisson, manager; Jorge Mejia, hitting coach; Pat Rice, pitching coach; Kirby Craft, athletic trainer; Ryan Grose, strength and conditioning coach.

Rookie-level Gulf Coast League: Jake Lowery, manager; Mark Harris, hitting coach; Franklin Bravo and Larry Pardo, pitching coaches; Jacob Meyer, athletic trainer; Gabe Torres, strength and conditioning coach/Latin American strength and conditioning coach.

Rookie-level Dominican Summer League: Sandy Martinez, manager/field coordinator; Freddy Guzman, hitting coach; Edwin Hurtado, pitching coach; Wilson Valdez, infield coach; Emilio Alcantara, outfield coach; Anthony Rosario, tryout assistant; Miguel Cabrera, athletic trainer; Santo Del Rosario, strength and conditioning coach; Manny Moore, Latin American training coordinator.

Coordinators

Spin Williams, senior advisor, player development
Jeff Garber, co-field coordinator, infield coordinator, extended spring training manager
Tommy Shields, co-field coordinator
Troy Gingrich, hitting coordinator
Brad Holman, pitching coordinator
Gary Thurman, outfield/baserunning coordinator
Mark Grater, rehabilitation and Dominican Republic pitching coordinator
Sandy Martinez, Dominican Republic field coordinator
Jon Kotredes, medical rehab coordinator
Jeff Allred, assistant medical coordinator
Tony Rogowski, strength and conditioning coordinator
Carlos Felix, minor league clubhouse and equipment coordinator
Scott Pacquin, minor league clubhouse operations