The Seattle Mariners announced the 2024 coaching staff for the defending California League champion Modesto Nuts. Here’s the press release:
SEATTLE, Wash. – Seattle Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto, Director of Player Development Justin Toole and Senior Director of High Performance Rob Scheidegger announced today the Class-A Modesto Nuts staff for the 2024 season:
Zach Vincej, Manager
Hecmart Nieves, Bench Coach
Jordan Cowan, Hitting Coach
Jake Witt, Pitching Coach
Kyle Briggs, Strength & Conditioning Coach
Blake Wooten, Athletic Trainer
Vincej (VINCE-ee) returns as Manager after leading Modesto to a California League Championship in his first year as skipper. Last season, the Nuts went 21-2 over their final 23 games of the season under Vincej, catapulting them to a Cal League Championship. Modesto carried its second-half surge into the Postseason, outscoring its opponents 36-14 over its final 3 games to claim the Cal League title.
Vincej served as a coach for Triple-A Tacoma in 2022 and prior to his coaching career, the infielder played 8 seasons (2012-19) in the minor leagues and appeared in 10 Major League games between Cincinnati (2017) and Seattle (2018). Vincej was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 37th round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Pepperdine University (CA). He won a Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove Award for his play at shortstop with Double-A Pensacola (CIN) in 2016 and made his Major League debut with the Reds on Aug. 1, 2018.
Nieves (heck-mart nee-YEV-es) enters his 3rd season in the Mariners organization and his 2nd with Modesto, after serving as Third Base/Catching Coach for the Nuts last year. In 2022, he served as a coach for the Rookie Dominican Summer League Mariners. Prior to joining the organization, he served as a baseball operations assistant in the Dominican Republic for the Detroit Tigers. Nieves played baseball at Ottawa University (KS) from 2017-18.
Cowan (COW-in) enters his first season as a full-time coach after serving as a player-coach in the Mariners organization in 2023. The former infielder played 9 seasons of minor league ball (2013-19, ’21-22), including 8 in the Mariners system. The Seattle native was selected by Seattle in the 37th round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Kentlake High School in Kent, WA.
Witt returns for his 2nd season as Modesto’s Pitching Coach. Prior to joining the organization, he served as Pitching Coach for the DSL Orioles in 2022. Before his stint in Baltimore’s organization, he worked at Driveline Baseball in Kent, Washington during 2021. He coached summer ball in Pierre, South Dakota for 3 seasons (2018-20) and pitched collegiately at West Hills Community College (CA).
Briggs joins the Mariners organization after spending the last 2 seasons (2022-23) as Strength & Conditioning staff in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Wooten returns for his 2nd season as Modesto’s Athletic Trainer, previously spending time in the Orioles system.
The reigning California League champions will defend their title Modesto has clinched a spot in the 2024 playoffs with the first-half title. With a 15-3 win over the Visalia Rawhide on Sunday, the Nuts took the North division crown and grabbed the first post-season spot.
The Lake Elsinore Storm did the same on Tuesday with a 5-3 win, also over Visalia. At 32-30, the Storm are the only team over .500 in the South division and will have a spot in the playoffs after the second half concludes in September.
