Guardians announce Greg DiCenzo to return to lead 2025 RubberDucks Field Staff
(AKRON, OHIO) January 30, 2025 – The Cleveland Guardians announced their 2025 Player Development staff assignments, returning seven members of the 2024 coaching staff to Akron. Greg DiCenzo returns for his second season as RubberDucks manager. Returning to the staff alongside DiCenzo from 2024 will be Jordan Becker as a
(AKRON, OHIO) January 30, 2025 – The Cleveland Guardians announced their 2025 Player Development staff assignments, returning seven members of the 2024 coaching staff to Akron. Greg DiCenzo returns for his second season as RubberDucks manager.
Returning to the staff alongside DiCenzo from 2024 will be Jordan Becker as a hitting coach, Michael Poole as a pitching coach, Derrik Diaz as athletic trainer, Karina Gonzalez as assistant athletic trainer, Mo Cuevas as strength & conditioning coach, and Seth Caddell as development coach. The newcomers to the 2025 staff will be Ian Forster as a hitting coach, Kevin Erminio as a pitching coach, and Marc Mumper as bench coach.
“We are excited to welcome Greg DiCenzo back to Akron,” RubberDucks President and General Manager Jim Pfander said. “It is exciting to bring back so many members of the staff that helped bring postseason baseball back to downtown Akron last summer. I can’t wait to see this staff and the players take the field at Canal Park on April 8.”
Manager Greg DiCenzo enters his fifth season with the Guardians organization. The 2024 season will be DiCenzo’s second as RubberDucks manager, and fourth as a manager in the Guardians organization. He guided the RubberDucks to an 80-58 record and an Eastern League playoff appearance in 2024.
Prior to becoming Triple-A Columbus’ bench coach in 2023, DiCenzo spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as the manager in High-A Lake County. He guided the Captains to a 141-108 record in his two seasons including a Midwest League finals appearance in 2022.
A native of Duxbury, MA, DiCenzo was the head baseball coach at Holy Cross for 12 seasons prior to joining the Cleveland organization. The Crusaders went 137-109 in Patriot League play during his tenure, including a 2017 Patriot League Championship, and posted 20-win seasons in 10 of those 12 years.
Hitting Coach Jordan Becker enters his sixth season with the Guardians organization and second with the RubberDucks. In 2023, Becker served as the hitting coach for Lake County.
Becker joined the Cleveland organization in 2019 after a collegiate coaching career that saw stops at Riverside Community College and New Mexico State University.
Hitting Coach Ian Forster enters his sixth season in the Guardians organization and second season in Akron. Forster will also be a hitting coach for RubberDucks and returns to Akron after serving as the RubberDucks assistant hitting coach in 2023. He was the Arizona Complex Guardians hitting coach in 2024.
A graduate of North Olmsted High School, Forster played four years at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea.
Pitching Coach Kevin Erminio enters his sixth season in the Guardians organization and first season with the RubberDucks. Prior to coming to Akron, Erminio was the pitching coach for the Lake County Captains for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Erminio joined the Guardians organization after a collegiate coaching career that included stops as a pitching coach in Oxford at Miami University and 13 seasons at Kennesaw State.
Pitching Coach Michael Poole enters his third season in the Guardians organization and second season with the RubberDucks. He will be a pitching coach in 2025 after spending 2024 as Akron’s assistant pitching coach. Prior to joining the RubberDucks, Poole was the pitching development coach on the Arizona Complex Academy staff.
A native of Akron, Poole played at Cuyahoga Community College and Lake Erie College before starting his coaching career at Inspiration Academy (FL) in 2019. Poole was an assistant coach at LSU-Eunice for the Bengals D2 JUCO World Series Championship season in 2021.
Bench Coach Marc Mumper enters his third season in the Guardians organization and first season in Akron. He will also serve as the Guardians organization’s assistant infield coordinator. Prior to coming to Akron, Mumper spent 2024 as the bench coach for Lake County.
A native of Highlands Ranch, CO, Mumper played 157 games from 2016-19 for Grand Canyon University. He then went on to coach at the college level in several different roles from 2019-22 before joining the Guardians organization.
Athletic Trainer Derrik Diaz enters his eighth season in the Guardians organization and second season with the RubberDucks. He also serves as the Guardians organization’s assistant coordinator for Dominican Republic Medical Services. Diaz was the Eastern League Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2024. Prior to coming to Akron, Diaz served as the head athletic trainer for the Dominican Republic Complex in 2023.
Assistant Athletic Trainer Karina Gonzalez enters her third season in the Guardians organization and second season in Akron. Prior to coming to Akron, Gonzalez spent the 2023 season at the Guardians complex in Goodyear.
Strength and Conditioning Coach Mo Cuevas enters his 10th season with the Guardians organization and third season in Akron. He was the Eastern League Strength Coach of the Year in 2024. Prior to joining the RubberDucks, Cuevas served as the Guardians rehab strength and conditioning coach in 2022.
Development Coach Seth Caddell enters his second season as a coach in the Guardians organization and second season with the RubberDucks. Before joining the RubberDucks coaching staff in 2024, Caddell played in the Guardians organization for three seasons as a catcher.
The Akron RubberDucks are the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. The RubberDucks season at Canal Park begins on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 against the Altoona Curve at 6:35 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 330-253-5151 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, or visit akronrubberducks.com/. For more information about the team, please call 330-253-5151, visit the website at akronrubberducks.com, Facebook page facebook.com/AkronRubberDucks, or on Twitter @AkronRubberDuck, and Instagram @akronrubberducks.
Here are the weirdest plays and stats from MiLB in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Podcast features first-base promotions for Caglianone, Eldridge
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Cubs' Rojas, Mets' Tong headline May's Minor League Players of the Month
Minor League Baseball announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for May in Major League Baseball’s player development system.
Minor League Baseball, Joe Torre Safe At Home partnership enters ninth year
For the ninth year, Minor League Baseball and Joe Torre Safe At Home have teamed up to raise awareness about violence and abuse and to inspire fans of all ages to join them in SAH’s critical work. This year, 63 MiLB teams will participate in an in-ballpark initiative from May
MiLB podcast discusses Anthony, Caglianone at Triple-A
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
These are the greatest Minor League promos happening in June
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
New playoff format coming to 2025 Dominican Summer League
Minor League Baseball announced the 2025 Dominican Summer League (DSL) season will begin June 2 with Opening Day festivities taking place at the Boston Red Sox Academy in Guerra. The 2025 campaign will also see the introduction of the DSL Cup, a new playoff format that will see 16 DSL
Debating best Minor League home caps on podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
The Omaha Storm Chasers' 'Take Meow-t' cat night included a Litter Box Sundae
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Boston's Triple-A affiliate throws birthday bash for Roman Anthony
With all the hype that has surrounded Roman Anthony over the past two seasons, it’s easy to forget how young he really is. MLB's No. 1 prospect played 70 games at the highest level of the Minors before he could order a beer. But he can now. Roman Anthony turned
Friendly foes, 2024 first-rounders Moore and Caglianone trade first Triple-A homers
For years, Christian Moore and Jac Caglianone laced up their cleats against one another in the SEC. A rivalry that spanned Florida, Tennessee and other landmarks across the South moved to Salt Lake City this week as the Royals and Angels' top prospects got simultaneous Triple-A promotions. So it was
Phillies' Moore, Fausnaught join MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's