Matt LeCroy to return to manage Red Wings for sixth straight season

Matt LeCroy will once again manage the Rochester Red Wings, the team and their parent club the Washington Nationals announced on Thursday. This will be his sixth season at the helm, tying the legendary Joe Altobelli‘s 1971-1976 run.

LeCroy, 50, has been a member of the Nationals organization for 18 seasons, including 15 years as a minor league manager, leading squads to a career 932-1,038 record and three playoff appearances. The only man to manage the Red Wings during the Nationals era, LeCroy previously played catcher for eight seasons in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins and the Nationals. LeCroy is also an Olympic medalist, winning a bronze with Team USA at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics during his college career with Clemson University. His 318 wins for the Red Wings place him seventh all-time in franchise history.

Well-known for his folksy attitude and willingness to take part in the team’s wackier promotions, LeCroy played for the Red Wings during the Twins era, appearing in 80 games in 2007. He’s the 17th manager in Red Wings history to have played for Rochester.

“We are thrilled to welcome a mix of returning coaches, led by veteran manager Matt LeCroy, along with several new members of our coaching staff,” said Naomi Silver, President, CEO, and COO of the Rochester Red Wings in a press release.

In addition to LeCroy, 10 other members of the coaching and training staff have been named, including two women, who will be the first female members of the Red Wings staff in franchise history.

It was something noted by Silver.

“As a woman owner of a professional sports team, I am especially excited and proud to welcome the first female coaches in Red Wings history,” she said in a press release. “The addition of Vanessa Weisbach in athletic training and Amanda Means in strength and conditioning is a milestone moment for this organization. Their presence reflects the continued evolution of our game and the high standards both the Nationals and the Red Wings set for excellence. This is a historic and energizing step forward for our club, our players, and our community.”

The coaching staff beyond LeCroy are:

• Brian Daubach enters his sixth season as Red Wings hitting coach and his 16th year as a coach in the Nationals systems. Before his coaching career, Daubach played 661 career MLB games, winning a World Series ring with the 2004 Red Sox.
• Fernando Nieve takes over as pitching coach, replacing Rafael Chaves. The 43-year-old Nieve spent the last several seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization as a pitching coach. Before that, he played 18 seasons of professional baseball, including portions of four seasons in the majors with the Houston Astros and New York Mets, accumulating 99 career games in MLB. He also played professionally in Korea, Mexico, and his native Venezuela.
• Travis Fitta, 35, joins the team as an Assistant Hitting Coach after spending several years working at Driveline Baseball. He previously worked as a hitting coach in 2019 and 2020 in the Cubs Organization, and also served six years in the United States Army.
• Sam Narron joins the Red Wings as Assistant Pitching Coach after spending 2021-26 as the organization’s Minor League Pitching Coordinatory. He also served as pitching coach in the organization from 2012 through 2021. Narron played parts of nine seasons professionally, reaching the Texas Rangers for a single game in 2004. Part of a baseball family, his uncle Jerry Narron managed the Red Wings in 1992, while his grandfather, also named Sam, played for the Red Wings in the 1930s and 40s.
• Mario Lisson remains on the team as a defensive coach, after serving as development coach in 2025. The 41-year-old is in his eighth season as a coach in the Washington organization, having managed the Wilmington Blue Rocks from 2022-2024, the Fredericksburg Nationals in 2021, and the Hagerstown Suns in 2019. Lisson had a 16-year-old professional career, playing in the Kansas City, San Francisco, and Washington organizations as well as stints in leagues abroad, including in his native Venezuela. Lisson has also played for the Venezuelan national team.
• Anthony DeLeo, a 32-year-old in his first season with the Nationals organization, will serve as a Quality Control & Development coach for the Red Wings. DeLeo has served as a pitching coach for Team Great Britain, as well as seven years as Assistant Baseball Coach with New Jersey Institute of Technology.
• Athletic trainer Eric Montague has been the athletic trainer for the Red Wings for what will now be six seasons, dating back to the beginning of the Nationals affiliation. This season will be his 28th in professional baseball.
• Vanessa Weisbach begins her time with the Red Wings as Assistant Athletic Trainer after spending a decade as a trainer in the Mets organization.
• Mike Warren also returns for his fifth season with the Red Wings, in his case as strength and conditioning coach. This season is his 16th in the Nationals organization. His father, also named Mike, pitched in the majors from 1983 through 1985, notably pitching a no-hitter for Oakland against the White Sox in September of 1983.
• Amanda Means joins the Red Wings as Associate Strength & Conditioning Coach after spending several years as a Sports Science Intern with Tread Athletics and the University of Pittsburgh. She has also previously worked or interned with the University of Delaware and Penn State.

The Red Wings begin their 2026 season on the road, playing in Jacksonville on March 27. The team’s home opener is Tuesday, March 31, against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.