Manager Pat Kelly Returns as Bats Announce 2024 Coaching Staff

LOUISVILLE, KY – The Louisville Bats today announced their coaching staff for the upcoming 2024 Triple-A baseball season. Headed by returning manager Pat Kelly, the staff will feature pitching coach Virgil Vasquez, hitting coach Alex Pelaez, coach Mike Jacobs, coach Bryan LaHair, athletic trainer Steve Gober, athletic trainer Kelsey Branstetter, strength and conditioning coach Kyle Laughlin, performance coach Jordan Reyes and video & technology specialist Nick Mundy.

Kelly, 68, returns for his fifth consecutive season at the helm of the Bats. In the last four seasons in Louisville, Kelly has led the Bats to a 253-323 record. He ranks fourth in Louisville franchise history in career wins, behind only Rick Sweet (539), Dave Miley (296) and Jim Fregosi (263). The Santa Maria, California native has spent 32 seasons managing in the minor leagues for 16 teams, including Richmond (2003-05), Syracuse (1999-2000), Ottawa (1997-98), Harrisburg (1995-96), Chattanooga (1993-94), Indianapolis (1991-92), Rockford (1991), Las Vegas (1990), Wichita (1988-89), Reno (1987) and Charleston (1986).

According to the MiLB Office, his career record as a minor league manager is 1,955-2,090. In a 13-1 victory vs Jacksonville on 5/18/23 at Louisville Slugger Field, Kelly was credited with his 1,900th career victory. Through the 2023 season, he is 1 of just 4 active minor league managers with at least 1,900 wins (Buddy Bailey 2,357, Rick Sweet 2,268, Tom Kotchman 2,034).

Kelly was named Manager of the Year in the Pioneer League with Billings in 2012. He has also managed overseas in various winter leagues during the Minor League offseason and the won Manager of the Year award in the Puerto Rican Winter League in 2010 and 2016.

Vasquez, 41, is in his second season with the organization and with the Bats. In 2023, Vasquez’s pitching staff featured 21 pitchers who also pitched with the Reds, helping both teams to a winning record. Before joining the Reds, he spent eight seasons in a player development role for the Twins, beginning with their rookie Gulf Coast League affiliate (2015) through a stint with Class AAA St. Paul in 2022. Vasquez was drafted by the Tigers in 2003 and pitched professionally over 12 seasons, including Big League time with the Pirates and Tigers.

A former Bat, Pelaez, 47, enters his fourth season as the Bats hitting coach and 16^th season in the organization. In 2023, he worked with a Louisville offense that set franchise records in runs (902), hits (1,406), home runs (210) and extra base hits (544). Prior to joining the Louisville staff, Pelaez spent time as the hitting coach with Single-A Daytona (2017-19), Double-A Pensacola (2014-16), Single-A Dayton (2011-13), Rookie Billings (2010) and the Rookie GCL Reds (2009). In addition to his time in the minor leagues, he served as hitting coach for Team Mexico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic and in the 2016 WBC Qualifiers. A 1998 draft pick for San Diego, Peláez went on to play eight minor league seasons for the Padres, Angels and Reds, including a season with the Bats in 2005. The San Diego native made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2002.

Jacobs, 43, is in his third season in the organization and third with the Bats. Serving as third base coach in 2023, he sent a Louisville franchise record and International League-leading 902 runs to the plate. Before joining the Reds in 2022, he spent the previous 5 years as a manager in the player development department of the Marlins for their Batavia (2017-2018), Clinton (2019), Jupiter (2020, COVID-19 season) and Beloit (2021) affiliates. The former first baseman was originally selected by the Mets in the 1999 draft and spent 18 years playing professional baseball, including seven seasons with the Mets, Marlins, Royals and Diamondbacks. He hit 100 career home runs in 569 career MLB games.

LaHair, 41, enters his seventh season in the Reds organization and first with the Bats. He spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as the manager at High-A Dayton. LaHair made his professional coaching debut in 2018 as hitting coach at rookie league Billings and managed the Mustangs to a postseason berth the following season. He was slated to return to the Mustangs in 2020, until COVID-19 canceled the season. In 2021, he managed the Arizona Complex League Reds. LaHair was a 39^th-round pick of the Mariners in 2002 and made his Big League debut with the Mariners in 2008. He played parts of three Major League seasons with the Mariners and Cubs. LaHair earned a National League All-Star nod with the Cubs in 2012.

Gober, 48, is in his ninth season in the organization, all assigned to the Bats, making him the longest-tenured trainer in Louisville franchise history. During the 2020 COVID-19 season, Steve worked at the Reds' alternate training site in Mason, Ohio. For three seasons from 2013-2015 he was an assistant athletic trainer on the Washington Nationals’ Major League staff after serving the previous seven seasons (2006-2012) as that organization’s minor league medical and rehabilitation coordinator. Gober also has been involved in the development and implementation of rehab programs for Major League players. Gober played golf and baseball at Shenandoah University while earning a degree in kinesiology/sports medicine in 1998.

Branstetter is in her second season in the organization (and with the Bats), her eighth in professional baseball. She worked for the Athletics in 2017 as a seasonal athletic trainer and then for the Rockies from 2018-2022 as an athletic trainer in their player development system. Branstetter played soccer at Middle Tennessee State University.

Laughlin is in his seventh season in professional baseball, his fifth in the Reds organization and first with Triple-A Louisville. He spent the 2021 and 2022 campaigns at Class A Daytona and 2023 at Double-A Chattanooga. A 2017 graduation of Indiana University, Laughlin spent the 2019 season as a strength and conditioning coach for the Rangers’ Dominican Summer League affiliate.

Reyes enters his first year in the organization. He joins the Reds organization with a wide range of experience within the baseball and performance field, including opportunities with the Tampa Bay Rays, University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University. Reyes earned a degree in kinesiology from Auburn University and then a master’s degree in sport science from the University of Pittsburgh.

The Louisville Bats open the 2024 season at Louisville Slugger Field on Friday, March 29 at 7:15 p.m. vs. the Indianapolis Indians, Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Full and partial season ticket packages are on sale now. For more information, visit batsbaseball.com.