Philadelphia Phillies Announce Al Pedrique Will Lead 2026 Fightin Phils Coaching Staff

(Reading, PA) - The Philadelphia Phillies announced today that Al Pedrique will return as the Reading Fightin Phils Manager in 2026, marking his fourth season in Baseballtown. From 2023-25, Pedrique has guided the R-Phils to 173 wins, which ranks as the ninth-most managerial wins in franchise history.

Pedrique will also become just the fifth manager since Reading's inaugural season in 1967 to manage four seasons or more. He joins Dusty Wathan, Bill Dancy, Greg Legg and Don McCormack to accomplish the feat. In 2025, Pedrique led the Fightin Phils to a 55-81 record, but the team boasted many accomplishments on the field throughout the year.

He oversaw a roster that had 66 players pass through Reading in 2025, which included 19 players promoted to Lehigh Valley (AAA). While no players from the '25 Fightin Phils made the big leagues during last season, three players who previously played under Pedrique in Reading made their major league debuts: Otto Kemp, Mick Abel and Robinson Pina.

Through three seasons with Reading, 11 players who played under Pedrique went on to play in the big leagues following their time in Reading (Drew Ellis, Johan Rojas, Orion Kerkering, Oliver Dunn, Tyler Phillips, Max Lazar, Seth Johnson, Sam Aldegheri, Kemp, Abel and Pina). 2026 will mark the first time in Pedrique's managerial career he was with a singular team for four seasons or more.

"Getting back to Reading is always nice," Pedrique said. "My wife and I fell in love with the town and the stadium. The front office is awesome to work with. The fan support was outstanding and we are very happy and pleased to be back in Reading."

Some of Reading's other accomplishments in 2025 under Pedrique include:

• Following the season, the Phillies named Pedrique the winner of the John Vukovich Award. The award is presented annually by the Phillies to the instructor in their organization who embodies the characteristics of the award's namesake: loyalty, dedication, competitiveness, knowledge, honesty and a terrific work ethic.
• Felix Reyes finished the season with an Eastern League best .335 batting average en route to being named league MVP. He also paced the league in slugging percentage, OPS, doubles, extra base hits and total bases
• Aidan Miller led the league in stolen bases with 52 on the season, marking the first time a R-Phil stole 50-or-more bases in a season since 1987. Miller was later named an Eastern League All-Star at shortstop
• Hendry Mendez, who was traded to Minnesota in July, was also named a league All-Star as an outfielder
• The team's 173 stolen bases were the second-most in a single-season in franchise history
• Eight members of the 2025 Fightin Phils were selected to participate in the Arizona Fall League: Eiberson Castellano, Jack Dallas, Daniel Harper, Tommy McCollum, Jaydenn Estanista, Aidan Miller, Carson DeMartini and Dante Nori. Additionally, Pedrique's Pitching Coach Riley McCauley was selected to coach in the Arizona Fall League.
• Alex McFarlane and Gabriel Rincones Jr., who previously played under Pedrique, were added to the Phillies 40-man roster after the season
• Reading’s 245 doubles were the most in a season since 2016 (270) and ranked as sixth most in a single-season in franchise history
• 173 stolen bases were the second most in a single-season in franchise history
• Reading's pitching staff posted the third most strikeouts in single-season franchise history (1,219)

Prior to joining the Phillies organization in 2023, Pedrique was apart of the Marlins for two seasons. He spent 2022 as the third base coach for Miami under new Phillies Bench Coach Don Mattingly. In 2021, Pedrique managed Miami's Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. He guided Jacksonville to a 75-55 record and postseason appearance in his lone season.

Pedrique served as apart of the Athletics' Major League staff from the 2018-20 seasons. He began as the A's first-base coach in 2018 and shifted to third-base coach in his final two seasons with the Athletics.

He enjoyed much of his Minor League managerial success during his tenure with the New York Yankees. Pedrique was with the Yankees from 2013-17 and managed Charleston in 2013, Tampa in 2014, Trenton in 2015 and then Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2016-17. Pedrique posted a .500 or better record in each season as a manager in the Yankees' organization, while additionally winning the Triple-A National Championship in 2016 and falling in the International League finals the following season. Overall, Pedrique posted a 394-309 record over his five seasons with New York.

Prior to his time with the Yankees, Pedrique also made a stop with the Houston Astros. He served as the bench coach and also a special assistant. Most notably, Pedrique played a pivotal role in the Astros' scouting and eventual signing of All-Star Jose Altuve.

Pedrique's lone Major League managerial experience came in 2004 when he was tabbed as the Arizona Diamondbacks Interim Manager following Bob Brenly's firing on July 2 of that season. Pedrique posted a 22-61 record over the rest of the season for Arizona. Pedrique previously spent 2001-03 seasons as a Minor League manager in the Diamondbacks organization.

He spent two seasons as the manager of the Michigan Battle Cats in Astros' organization in 1999 and 2000, posting winning records in both seasons and winning the Midwest League Championship in 2000. Pedrique began his professional managerial career in the Kansas City Royals' organization in 1995. His first managerial job was for the Spokane Indians in 1995 and then he managed the GCL-Royals in 1996 and '97.

Here is a breakdown of Pedrique's Managerial Stops and Records:

1995: Spokane Indians (Kansas City) 36-40
1996: GCL Royals (Kansas City) 30-29
1997: GCL Royals (Kansas City) 36-24
1999: Michigan Battle Cats (Houston) 76-62
2000: Michigan Battle Cats (Houston) 82-56
2001: El Paso Diablos (Arizona) 57-83
2002: Tucson Sidewinders (Arizona) 73-68
2003: Tucson Sidewinders (Arizona) 73-71
2004: Arizona Diamondbacks 22-61
2013: Charleston RiverDogs (New York Yankees) 75-63
2014: Tampa Yankees (New York Yankees) 71-68
2015: Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees) 71-71
2016: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees) 91-52
2017: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees) 86-55
2021: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami) 75-55
2023: Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia) 59-77
2024: Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia) 59-78
2025: Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia) 55-81

Overall Record: 1,127-1,094 (.507)
Minor League Record: 1,105-1,033 (.517)
Major League Record: 22-61 (.265)

Prior to beginning his managerial career, Pedrique played professionally from 1978-1994 after signing with the New York Mets at 17-years old in 1978. His playing career included stops within the Mets, Pirates, Tigers, Athletics, Royals and Marlins organization. He made his Major League debut in 1987 with the Mets and spent parts of three seasons with New York, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers in the Major Leagues. Pedrique spent a total of 17 seasons in the Minor Leagues before retiring from playing in 1994.

"Our goal is to win more games and bring a Championship to Reading," Pedrique added. "We're very excited to be back. We love everything about Reading. I know it's going to be a good year and I'm looking forward to being back soon."

Joining Pedrique in 2026 will be a staff with extensive experience within the Phillies organization:

Bench Coach: Marty Malloy

Malloy joins the Fightin Phils staff for his first season in Reading as Bench Coach after managing the Single-A Clearwater Threshers since 2021. Prior to joining Clearwater, Malloy managed the then Lakewood BlueClaws during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He also spent time in the Houston Astros organization from 2014-16 as manager of the Gulf Coast Astros before joining the Phillies organization. As a player, Malloy played professionally from 1992-2003 after being selected by the California Angels in the 48th round of the 1990 MLB Draft. During his career, he spent time in the Braves, Tigers, Reds, Marlins, Dodgers, and Cardinals organizations. Malloy appeared in 35 career Major League games, including stints with the Braves in 1998 and the Marlins in 2002. He also played in 1,201 minor league games, posting a .284 batting average over his 12-year professional career. Malloy additionally represented Team USA at the 2001 Baseball World Cup.

Pitching Coach: Brad Bergesen

Bergesen returns to Reading for his fourth season as the Fightin Phils Pitching Coach. Bergesen also was in Baseballtown in 2021, '23 and '25. In 2024, Bergesen served as the Pitching Coach for High-A Jersey Shore. His time in the Phillies organization also included two other stints with the BlueClaws in 2018 and '22, along with coaching Single-A Clearwater in 2019. As a player, Bergesen spent four seasons in the Major Leagues with the Baltimore Orioles, while also playing professionally in Japan and Independent Leagues before retiring as a player after the 2017 season.

Assistant Pitching Coach: Alex Harter

Harter joins the Phillies organization and Reading for his first season in 2026. He previously spent two seasons in the Houston Astros organization, working with High-A Ashville in 2024 and with Double-A Corpus Christi in '25. Before joining Houston, Harter spent time as a coach at Middlebury College in Vermont and previously coached at his alma mater, the University of Findlay in Ohio. Harter is a native of Findlay, Ohio, and pitched at Findlay from 2016-19, appearing in 33 total games.

Hitting Coach: Jeff Livesey

Livesey joins the Phillies organization and Reading for his debut season in 2026. He most recently worked as the hitting coach in the Washington Nationals organization with Double-A Harrisburg. Previously, the veteran coach was with the Miami Marlins from 2019-23. He was on the big-league staff in 2019, before transitioning to the minor league side for the remainder of his time with Miami. Livesey had two-separate stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates throughout his career. He worked as a coach and manager in Pittsburgh's minor league system from 2003-05 and again from 2011-13. Entering the 2014 season, Livesey joined the Pirates' major league coaching staff, as he was the assistant hitting coordinator from 2014-18. Between his two stints with the Pirates, Livesey was a bench coach for Hiroshima Toyo Carp from 2006-09 and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2010 in Japan. As a player, Livesey played at Auburn and was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1988. He played in the Yankees' minor league system for eight seasons from 1988-95.

Position Coach: Nerluis Martinez

Martinez begins his sixth season in the Phillies organization and second in Reading in 2026. Martinez spent last season as a position coach with Single-A Clearwater and prior to that was the manager of the Dominican Summer League Phillies-Red team from 2022-24. Over his three years as the manager of the DSL-Phillies Red, Martinez compiled an 84-83 record. Martinez was previously with the Fightin Phils in 2021 when he served as the Development Coach. Before his time as a coach, Martinez played in the Phillies system after signing as a free agent in 2014. He spent four years as a player prior to finishing his playing career in 2018.

Mental Performance Coach: Christina Kremer

Kremer joins the Phillies and Reading for her first season in 2026. She most recently worked as a Cognitive Performance Specialist with GAP Solutions, a role she held since September of 2023. Kremer recently earned her Doctorate Degree from the University of Western States in June of 2024.

Athletic Trainer: Meag Flaherty

Flaherty returns for her third season with the Fightin Phils as the team's Athletic Trainer. 2026 will be her sixth season with the Phillies organization, as she spent the 2023 season as the Athletic Trainer with the High-A Jersey Shore BlueClaws. Flaherty was hired by the Phillies in 2020 and spent 2022 as the Assistant Athletic Trainer with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Prior to joining the Phillies, Flaherty spent the 2019 season as an Athletic Training Intern with the Rookie Level Arizona League Cubs. She also graduated from Bridgewater State University with a Master's Degree in Athletic Training. Flaherty also previously worked as an Athletic Trainer in the Cape Cod Baseball League and for multiple Division I NCAA programs and sports medicine clinics. She received her Bachelor's Degree in 2017 from UMASS-Amherst.

Assistant Athletic Trainer: Cayla Williams

Williams joins the Phillies organization and Fightin Phils for her first season in 2026. Most recently, Williams worked over four years as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at Drexel University, a role she held since 2021. She also spent the summer of 2021 as the Athletic Trainer for the USA U22 Field Hockey Women's National Team. Williams received her Bachelors' Degree from Immaculata in 2018 and was also a member of the school's field hockey team. While working at Drexel, Williams received a Masters' Degree in 2023.

Strength and Conditioning Coach: Dan Donohue

Donohue enters his first season with the Phillies and Fightin Phils in 2026, after being hired by Philadelphia this past offseason. He most recently worked as a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Miami Marlins during the 2025 season. His previous stops included four years with the Cincinnati Reds and one season with the San Diego Padres. Donohue graduated with his Bachelors' Degree from the University of Tampa in 2016 and received his Masters' from Concordia University Chicago the following year.

The Fightin Phils return to FirstEnergy Stadium to open the 2026 season on Tuesday, April 7 at 6:45 p.m., against the Hartford Yard Goats, Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Single-game tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at rphils.com/tickets, by calling 610-370-BALL or in-person at the Customer's Bank Ticket Office.

The 2026 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram @Fightins.