Daytona Tortugas Announce 2026 Coaching Staff, Highlighted by Return of Ricky Gutiérrez as Manager

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2026) – The Daytona Tortugas, in conjunction with the Cincinnati Reds, have announced the club’s coaching staff for the 2026 season. The staff will be led by manager Ricky Gutiérrez, alongside bench coach Lenny Harris, pitching coach Jason Immekus, hitting coach Jose Leon, and coach Sebastian Almonte.

Gutiérrez returns to Daytona with deep ties to the organization and more than three decades of professional baseball experience. He previously served as the Tortugas’ bench coach in 2017 before managing the club from 2018–19, guiding Daytona to the Florida State League Championship Series in 2018. He later managed the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts in 2021, leading the club to a winning record.

After the 2021 season, Gutiérrez joined the Washington Nationals organization. He served as a special assistant in international operations before moving onto the Major League staff as run prevention coordinator in 2023. He spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons as the Nationals’ third base coach, gaining daily experience at the game’s highest level.

As a player, Gutiérrez appeared in 1,119 Major League games across 12 seasons from 1993–2004 with the Padres, Astros, Cubs, Indians, Mets, and Red Sox. He was a key contributor on three consecutive Houston division champions from 1997–99, starting all but one postseason game during that stretch, and finished his career as a member of the 2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

Harris returns for his sixth season on the Tortugas staff and his tenth season as a coach in the Reds organization. The Miami native spent parts of 18 Major League seasons from 1988–2005, including seven years with Cincinnati. A versatile utility player, he set the Major League record with 212 career pinch hits and was a member of the 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins.

Following his playing career, Harris coached at the Major League level with the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins and worked in the Los Angeles Dodgers system before joining the Reds organization in 2016. He has held a variety of roles in player development, including time with the Arizona League Reds, the Chattanooga Lookouts, and multiple seasons on the Tortugas staff.

Immekus returns for his second season as Daytona’s pitching coach and his second year in the Reds organization. Before joining the professional ranks, he spent more than two decades coaching at the collegiate level across Kansas and Missouri, including stops at Crowder College, Jefferson College, Missouri Southern State University, and Pittsburg State University.

During his collegiate coaching career, Immekus worked with more than 60 players who signed professional contracts, including seven who reached the Major Leagues. He also served as an associate scout for the St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays. From 2021–24, he worked as a pitching trainer with Premier Pitching Performance in St. Louis, focusing on individualized development programs. A native of Carthage, Missouri, Immekus pitched at Independence Community College and Washburn University before playing three seasons of independent professional baseball from 2000–02.

Leon returns to Daytona after spending part of the 2025 season as the hitting coach at Double-A Chattanooga. He is now in his fifth season as a coach in the Reds organization after earlier stops with the Dominican Summer League Reds in 2022, the Arizona Complex League Reds in 2023, and the High-A Dayton Dragons in 2024. In Dayton, he helped guide an offense that led the Midwest League in home runs and ranked among the league leaders in total runs.

Prior to joining Cincinnati, Leon spent five seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, including managerial assignments with the State College Spikes in 2019 and the Palm Beach Cardinals in 2021. Under his leadership, State College led the New York-Penn League in runs, batting average, and slugging percentage.

A native of Cayey, Puerto Rico, Leon played professionally for 16 seasons from 1994–2009 across four Major League organizations and internationally. He appeared in 88 Major League games with the Baltimore Orioles from 2002–04.

Almonte begins his fourth season as a coach in the Reds organization. He started his coaching career with the DSL Reds in 2023 and spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons on the Arizona Complex League staff.

A native of Padre las Casas, Dominican Republic, Almonte played five seasons in the Reds’ minor league system from 2018–22. He appeared in 177 career games as an infielder and reached Low-A Daytona during his final professional season in 2022 before transitioning into coaching within the organization.

OPENING DAY:

The Tortugas open the 2026 season on April 2 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark against the Jupiter Hammerheads. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET, with postgame fireworks to follow.

ABOUT THE DAYTONA TORTUGAS:

The Daytona Tortugas are entering their 11th season as the Single-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of Minor League Baseball’s Florida State League. The Tortugas play at historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida. “The Jack” was recently designated a National Commemorative Site and also plays host to Bethune-Cookman University, the Jackie Robinson Ballpark Museum, and many community events and initiatives of all sizes throughout the year.