MATTHEW LECROY TO MANAGE RED WINGS FOR SIXTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON

ROCHESTER, NY - The Washington Nationals announced on Thursday that MATTHEW LECROY will return for his sixth season as the Rochester Red Wings Manager in 2026. With 932 career MiLB managerial wins, LeCroy led the Red Wings to a 59-88 record in 2025 while utilizing 71 different players. LeCroy becomes the first manager to be tabbed as the Rochester skipper for a sixth consecutive year since Red Wings legend Joe Altobelli managed the club from 1971-1976.

LeCroy’s Coaching Staff for the 2026 season:

Brian Daubach - Hitting Coach (6th Season with Red Wings)

Fernando Nieve - Pitching Coach (1st Season with Red Wings)

Travis Fitta - Assistant Hitting Coach (1st Season with Red Wings)

Sam Narron - Assistant Pitching Coach (1st Season with Red Wings)

Mario Lisson - Defensive Coach (2nd Season with Red Wings)

Anthony Deleo - Quality Control & Development Coach (1st Season with Red Wings)

Eric Montague - Athletic Trainer (6th Season with Red Wings)

Vanessa Weisbach - Assistant Athletic Trainer (1st Season with Red Wings)

Mike Warren - Strength & Conditioning Coach (6th Season with Red Wings)

Amanda Means - Associate Strength & Conditioning Coach (1st Season with Red Wings)

BRIAN DAUBACH will return as the club’s Hitting Coach, entering his sixth season in Rochester after serving in the role every year since the Red Wings began their affiliation with Washington in 2021. FERNANDO NIEVE joins the Red Wings as Pitching Coach for the 2026 season, his first with the organization, while SAM NARRON returns to the Nationals organization in a different capacity as Assistant Pitching Coach. MARIO LISSON enters his second season with Rochester after joining the staff in 2025 as the club’s Defensive Coach. TRAVIS FITTA joins the Red Wings for his first season as Assistant Hitting Coach, while ANTHONY DELEO begins his first year as Quality Control & Development Coach.

Athletic Trainer ERIC MONTAGUE and Strength & Conditioning Coach MIKE WARREN will each return for their sixth seasons with the Red Wings. VANESSA WEISBACH joins the staff as Assistant Athletic Trainer, and AMANDA MEANS enters her first season as Associate Strength & Conditioning Coach.

“We are thrilled to welcome a mix of returning coaches, led by veteran manager Matt LeCroy, along with several new members of our coaching staff,” said NAOMI SILVER, President, CEO, and COO of the Rochester Red Wings. “In this new era of our affiliation with the Washington Nationals, their front office has assigned the Red Wings an unprecedented 11 full-time coaches. This level of commitment represents a meaningful investment by the Nationals, one that will greatly benefit player development and enhance the overall fan experience.

“As a woman owner of a professional sports team, I am especially excited and proud to welcome the first female coaches in Red Wings history. The addition of Vanessa Weisbach in athletic training and Amanda Means in strength and conditioning is a milestone moment for this organization. Their presence reflects the continued evolution of our game and the high standards both the Nationals and the Red Wings set for excellence. This is a historic and energizing step forward for our club, our players, and our community.”

MATTHEW LECROY, 50, enters his 18th season in the Washington Nationals organization and 15th as a Minor League manager. The South Carolina native previously managed Double-A Harrisburg (2012–13, 2016–19), Single-A Potomac (2011), and Single-A Hagerstown (2009–10). LeCroy guided Rochester through the 2025 season, and his combined Minor League record as a manager stands at 932–1,038 (.473), with three playoff appearances, including a spot in the Eastern League Finals in 2013. The Clemson University alum was slated to be the Nationals Minor League Quality Control Coordinator in 2020 before the cancellation of the MiLB season. He was the 50th overall pick in the 1997 MLB Draft, playing eight seasons in the Major Leagues as a catcher with Minnesota (2000–05; 2007) and Washington (2006), later spending two seasons as Washington’s Bullpen Coach (2014-15). LeCroy became the 17th player to manage the Red Wings (full-time) after previously playing for Rochester and ranks seventh all-time in franchise history with 318 managerial wins.

BRIAN DAUBACH, 53, embarks on his 16th season as a coach in the Nationals chain. The former Major League first baseman will instruct the organization’s Triple-A hitters for a ninth season. Prior to his current role, he managed five seasons in the system with Double-A Harrisburg (2014-15), Single-A Potomac (2013), and Single-A Hagerstown (2011-12). The 2013 Potomac Nationals had the best overall record (84-55) in the Carolina League, winning both the first and second-half North titles before falling to Salem in the Mills Cup Championship. His 2012 Hagerstown Suns team had the best overall record in the South Atlantic League at 82-55, and won the Second-Half Division title before falling to Greensboro in the first round of the playoffs. Daubach played in 661 MLB games over eight seasons for the New York Mets (2005), Chicago White Sox (2003), Boston Red Sox (1999-2002, 2004), and Florida Marlins (1998), earning a World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2004. He also suited up for 1,235 additional Minor League games during his 17-year playing career (1990-2006). The Mets selected Daubach in the 17th round of the 1990 MLB Draft out of West High School in Belleville, IL.

FERNANDO NIEVE, 43, enters his first season as Pitching Coach for the Rochester Red Wings in 2026. Nieve brings extensive professional coaching experience after spending multiple seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, where he served as Florida and Dominican Republic Complex Pitching Lead (2025), Lead of the Pitch Design Program (2021–25), and a Minor League Pitching Coach (2019–25), coaching at affiliates including Double-A Altoona (2024), High-A Greensboro (2022–23), and Single-A Bradenton (2021). He also served as Pitching Coach for Gigantes de Carolina during the 2023–24 winter season. Nieve enjoyed a lengthy professional playing career, pitching in the Major Leagues with the Houston Astros, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, and Los Angeles Angels, while also competing internationally in the KBO, Liga Mexicana de Béisbol, and Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional.

TRAVIS FITTA, 35, joins the Red Wings as Assistant Hitting Coach for the 2026 season, his first with the Washington Nationals organization. Fitta brings experience from both professional and collegiate baseball, most recently spending multiple seasons with Driveline Baseball, where he served as Hitting Coordinator (2024–26) and Senior Hitting Trainer (2023–24). Before his time at Driveline, Fitta worked with Ascent Athlete as Director of Player Development (2021–23) and Director of Hitting (2021), overseeing offensive instruction and individualized development plans. He previously spent the 2019–20 season in affiliated baseball as a Minor League Hitting Coach with the Chicago Cubs, and earlier served as Director of Hitting Development at Ohio University in 2019. Before beginning his coaching career, Fitta served six years in the United States Army as an Infantryman (2009–15), bringing leadership and discipline developed through military service to his work in player development.

SAM NARRON, 44, returns to the Washington Nationals Organization as Assistant Pitching Coach of the Rochester Red Wings for the 2026 season. Narron most recently served as the club’s Minor League Pitching Coordinator (2021–26) after previously working as a Minor League Pitching Coach (2012–21), overseeing pitcher development at multiple levels of the system, including stops with Double-A Harrisburg, High-A Potomac, and Low-A Hagerstown. In addition to his work during the regular season, Narron served as Pitching Coach for the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League during the 2016 season. Before his coaching career, Narron pitched professionally for nearly a decade, playing in the Milwaukee Brewers organization from 2004–11 after beginning his professional career with the Texas Rangers from 2002–04. He was selected by Texas in the 15th round of the 2002 MLB Amateur Draft out of East Carolina University. Narron has deep family ties to Rochester, as his uncle, Jerry Narron, managed the Red Wings during the 1992 season, and his grandfather was a catcher in the St. Louis Cardinals organization in the 1940s and a former Rochester Red Wing.

MARIO LISSON, 41, enters his eighth season as a coach in the Washington Nationals organization, having managed the Wilmington Blue Rocks from 2022-2024, the Fredericksburg Nationals in 2021, and the Hagerstown Suns in 2019 after beginning his coaching career with the Gulf Coast Nationals in 2018. Before transitioning to coaching, Lisson enjoyed a 16-year professional playing career (2002-2017), including time with the Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, and Washington Nationals systems. He appeared in 1,361 games across Minor League Baseball, independent leagues, and international play, hitting 220 career home runs. A standout performer in Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVPB), Lisson played a key role for Leones del Caracas and was a prominent member of the Venezuelan National Team in multiple World Baseball Classic tournaments. Originally signed by the Royals as an international free agent in 2002, Lisson now brings his experience as a versatile infielder and international competitor to his role developing the next generation of Nationals talent.

ANTHONY DELEO, 32, joins the Red Wings as Quality Control & Development Coach for the 2026 season, his first with the Washington Nationals organization. DeLeo brings experience across professional, collegiate, and international baseball, most recently serving as Pitching Coach for Great Britain Baseball (2024–present), contributing to player preparation and development at the international level. He also spent more than seven years on the collegiate coaching staff at New Jersey Institute of Technology, working as an Assistant Baseball Coach (2018–26) with responsibilities that included player development, scouting, and game preparation. Earlier in his career, DeLeo held coaching roles at Merrimack College (2018) and with the Plymouth Pilgrims Baseball Club (2018) as a Hitting Coach. His professional background also includes time in Major League Baseball operations, having worked as a Pro Scouting Video Assistant with the Toronto Blue Jays (2017) and as a Minor League Video Assistant in Baseball Operations with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2016). DeLeo played collegiately at Bridgewater State University from 2012-15.

ERIC MONTAGUE, embarks on his ninth Triple-A season and sixth with the Red Wings after spending the previous four seasons (2014-17) with Double-A Harrisburg. The 2024 season will be his 26th in professional baseball and his 12th season in the Nationals organization after 10 seasons at various levels of the Houston Astros’ chain. Montague joined Washington’s system in 2013 with Single-A Potomac before jumping to Harrisburg the following season. He spent the 2011-12 seasons with Double-A Corpus Christi and worked from 2004-10 with Salem and Lancaster, both Single-A affiliates of the Houston Astros. In 2003, Montague worked with Single-A Lexington after spending the 2002 campaign with Martinsville of the Rookie-Level Appalachian League. Before joining the Astros, he worked in the Mets organization for four seasons (1998-2001). Montague attended Mississippi State University, where he served as a student athletic trainer while earning his Bachelor of Science degree in fitness.

VANESSA WEISBACH, embarks on her first season with the Red Wings in 2026 after spending nearly a decade in professional baseball. Weisbach most recently served as an Athletic Trainer with the New York Mets (2016–26), working across the organization in player care, injury prevention, and rehabilitation. In addition to her work in professional baseball, she spent several years with ProCare Physical Therapy Inc. (2009–17) while also serving as Head Athletic Trainer at Lackawanna Trail High School (2009–17), overseeing all aspects of sports medicine for multiple athletic programs. Earlier in her career, Weisbach worked as an Athletic Trainer with the New Market Rebels (2007). She earned both a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training and a Master of Science in Athletic Training from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, bringing experience from the professional, clinical, and scholastic levels to Rochester’s athletic training staff.

MIKE WARREN, enters his 16th season with the Washington Nationals organization, and his 10th leading the Strength and Conditioning program at the Triple-A level. He was Triple-A Syracuse's Strength and Conditioning Coach from 2015-2018, and High-A Potomac for the four seasons prior. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Kansas Wesleyan University and played Baseball for the NAIA program. His father, also Mike, appeared in 52 Major League games with the Oakland Athletics from 1983-85 and tossed a no-hitter for the A’s vs. the Chicago White Sox on September 29, 1983.

AMANDA MEANS, enters her first season with the Red Wings in 2026 after gaining experience across sports science, strength and conditioning, and applied research environments. She most recently served as a Sports Science Intern with Tread Athletics (2025–26) following a year with the University of Pittsburgh, where she worked as both a Sports Science Intern (2024–25) and Strength and Conditioning Intern (2025). She previously spent more than two years as a Research Assistant at the University of Delaware (2022–24) and also gained early experience as a Biomechanics Lab Intern at Penn State University (2022). Means earned a Master’s Degree in Sports Science from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master’s Degree in Biomechanics and Movement Science from the University of Delaware, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology (Movement Science) from Penn State University. A former collegiate student-athlete, Means played college soccer at Point Park University from 2017–19.

Rochester opens the 2026 season on the road with a three-game series against Jacksonville (MIA) on March 27. The Red Wings' home opener will take place on Tuesday, March 31, against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (NYY). Season Seats, group outings, single-game suites, picnics, and flex packs can be purchased now by calling 585-454-1001. More information on these options can be found at RedWingsBaseball.com.