Fisher Cats Coaching Staff Unveiled, Tamargo Jr. to Lead NH in 2026 

MANCHESTER, NH – New manager John Tamargo Jr. will lead the Fisher Cats in 2026, the Toronto Blue Jays announced on Thursday, February 12. Along with Tamargo Jr., Toronto announced six new faces joining New Hampshire’s coaching staff and eight returners.

In 2025, Tamargo Jr. steered the FCL Blue Jays to their first Florida Complex League title. Toronto elevated 2025 Fisher Cats manager Brent Lavallee to Director of Position Player Development across all Blue Jays farmhands.

Tamargo Jr. played his college ball with the University of Florida and was drafted by the New York Mets in the 1996 draft. Son of former big-leaguer and Minor League manager John Tamargo, John Jr. spent eight years in the minors and played for the Binghamton Mets in the Eastern League from 1999 to 2001. He joined the Blue Jays’ system in 2010 and served two years as Hitting Coach for Toronto’s former Class-A affiliate, the Lansing Lugnuts. Tamargo Jr. managed the Lugnuts from 2012 through 2014 before spending 2015 with the Dunedin Blue Jays in the Florida State League, again as Hitting Coach. In 2016, he managed the Vancouver Canadians and spent three summers with the DSL Blue Jays in the Dominican Summer League from 2017 through 2019.

Mitch Huckabay returns to New Hampshire for his fourth season in 2026 as Hitting Coach, also his fourth year in the Blue Jays’ coaching ranks. Prior to his time with Toronto, Huckabay first served as a graduate assistant at Southern Arkansas State before he joined LSU-Shreveport's staff in 2018 and 2019. Other collegiate stops for Huckabay include Vernon College (TX), Northeast Texas CC and Sam Houston State.

Pitching Coach Austin Bibens-Dirkx returns to New Hampshire for his second season. In 2025, the former big-leaguer Bibens-Dirkx joined New Hampshire’s staff and became the first individual to both pitch in a Fisher Cats uniform and go on to lead the pitching staff. In 2025, Bibens-Dirkx oversaw a New Hampshire pitching effort that nailed down 13 shutout victories, third-most in the Eastern League and fourth-most across all Double-A clubs. Throughout his 12 years in the minors, Bibens-Dirkx appeared in 49 games for New Hampshire between 2013 and 2015 before making his MLB debut in 2017. Bibens-Dirkx brings 17 seasons of experience across nine different levels of baseball from his playing days to his current chapter of coaching.

New Bench Coach Mike McRae is a veteran piece that joins Toronto’s organization for the first time in 2026. McRae, who most recently served as Rutgers’ Associate Head Coach/Pitching Coach since July 2024, has stacked over 25 years of collegiate experience at the NCAA-DI level. Aside from Rutgers, McRae coached at William & Mary, VCU, Canisius, Niagara, Maine and Winthrop. A native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, McRae coached the Canadian Youth National Team at the 1996 and 1997 World Championships and was a guest coach for the Blue Jays at spring training in 1997. Former New Hampshire Bench Coach Jake McGuiggan was elevated to Outfield & Baserunning Coordinator in the Blue Jays’ organization.

New Hampshire newcomers include Luis Silva (Position Coach), Robelin Bautista (Assistant Pitching/Bullpen Coach), Katie Reyes (Athletic Trainer) and Nathan Sarro (Technology Assistant). Bautista most recently served a similar role with the High-A Vancouver Canadians a season ago and spent 2023 and 2024 as Pitching Coach with the Dominican Summer League Blue Jays. Silva played four years in the Rangers' organization before finishing his playing days between Dunedin and Lansing in 2017. He has been in Toronto’s coaching ranks since 2018, including last year with Tamargo Jr. in the FCL as a Position Coach.

Reyes joins New Hampshire returner Matthew Beauregard as the team's athletic trainers for 2026. Roelvis Vargas, who spent 2024 and 2025 with the Fisher Cats as the team’s Athletic Trainer, will be with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in the same role. Bailey Forst (Head Strength & Conditioning Coach) and Edwin Ortiz (Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach) both return to New Hampshire’s staff, along with Sabrina Weissman (Nutritionist).

Season tickets, single-game tickets, and mini-plans for New Hampshire’s 2026 season are on sale now. Join the ‘04 Society and gain access to exclusive membership benefits, such as prioritized early access to events at Delta Dental Stadium, exclusive Fisher Cats gifts and more.

New Hampshire opens 2026 on Opening Day for the second consecutive season when the 2025 Eastern League champions, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (NYM), visit Delta Dental Stadium. In 2026, eight of the 12 Eastern League teams are scheduled to visit the Granite State.

About the New Hampshire Fisher Cats

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are the Double-A affiliate of the 2025 American League champions, the Toronto Blue Jays, and play their games at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. Since 2004, over 170 former Fisher Cats have made their MLB debuts. The Fisher Cats have raised millions of dollars for various charities through the Fisher Cats Foundation and continuously strive to improve the quality of life for Granite State residents. The organization has been recognized as New Hampshire Business Review’s “Best Sporting Event to Take Clients To”, Parenting New Hampshire Magazine’s “New Hampshire’s Favorite Sporting Event for Families”, and New Hampshire Magazine’s “Best New Hampshire Sports Team”. For more information on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, please visit nhfishercats.com, call (603) 641-2005, or contact Chris Jared via email at [email protected].