Blue Jays announce 2018 Lugnuts coaching staff

Lugnuts manager Cesar Martin coaches third base during a game at Lansing’s Cooley Law School Stadium last year. (Photo by Craig Wieczorkiewicz/The Midwest League Traveler)

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Wednesday that Cesar Martin will return as manager of the Lansing Lugnuts, accompanied by an entirely different coaching staff than he had last year.

Martin led the Lugnuts to a 63-73 overall record last year, his first at the team’s helm. Lansing had a 37-29 record in the first half, when its lineup included top Blue Jays prospects Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Lugnuts went 26-44 in the second half.

New pitching coach Antonio Caceres previously served in the same capacity for the Lugnuts, in 2009 and 2010. He pitched four years in the Blue Jays farm system before becoming a coach, which he has done for Toronto for the last 18 years (the last seven with the Bluefield Blue Jays of the rookie-level Appalachian League).

Former outfielder/second baseman Matt Young is the new Lugnuts hitting coach. It is his first year coaching in the Blue Jays organization. His nine-year playing career included 25 games in the major leagues, for the Atlanta Braves and the Detroit Tigers.

Dave Pano will serve as the team’s position player coach. This is the first time the longtime Blue Jays coach is assigned to Lansing. He managed the short-season Vancouver Canadians the last seven years, and in that time the team won four Northwest League championships.

The Lugnuts will host this year’s Midwest League All-Star Game on Tuesday, June 19.

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This entry was posted in 2018 All-Star Game, Appalachian League, Bluefield Blue Jays, Lansing Lugnuts, Midwest League, Northwest League, Vancouver Canadians. Bookmark the permalink.

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