Sacramento River Cats Announce 2025 Coaching Staff

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats, proud Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, have announced their full coaching staff for the 2025 campaign.

Returning in 2025 are four of Sacramento’s five on-field coaches from last season — Manager Dave Brundage, Pitching Coach Alain Quijano, Fundamentals Coach Jolbert Cabrera, and Assistant Hitting Coach Robert Riggins. They will be joined by P.J. Pilittere, who will serve as Sacramento’s new hitting coach. Other returning names including Brian Reinker (trainer), Chris Walsh (trainer), and Emmanuel Gaspard (home clubhouse manager), while new to the staff this year is Chris Harms (strength & conditioning coach) and Nick Solitario (player development associate).

Brundage returns for his ninth year at the helm of the River Cats, first assuming the role prior to the 2017 campaign. In his seven seasons (no season in 2020), Brundage has amassed a 460-535 (.462) record, including a magical 2019 season in which Sacramento won 73 contests and were both Pacific Coast League and Triple-A champions. In 2024 Brundage guided the River Cats to an overall record of 80-70, his most wins in a single year with Sacramento. Currently, Brundage has totaled the second-most managerial wins in Sacramento franchise history, trailing only the 578 of Tony DeFrancesco (2003-07, 2009-10).

For his career, Brundage has a managerial record of 1,831-1,850 (.497), with a total of three league championships. Eighteen consecutive seasons of his 26-year managerial career have come at the Triple-A level. Prior to Sacramento, Brundage guided the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies, 2014-16) over four seasons, and spent his first six Triple-A campaigns with the Richmond/Gwinnett Braves (Atlanta Braves, 2007-2012). The seventh pick of the fourth round in the 1986 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies out of Oregon State, Brundage’s career as a manager began in 1995 with the Riverside Pilots (Class-A Advanced, Seattle Mariners) and includes six seasons in Double-A with the Memphis Chicks/San Antonio Missions (Seattle Mariners).

Cabrera prepares for his ninth season in the Giants’ organization, the sixth as fundamentals coach of the River Cats after assuming the role in time for Sacramento’s championship 2019 season. Twice Cabrera has helped the team set franchise records, tying the mark for fewest errors committed in 2021 (103) before rewriting it in 2024 (98), and and coaching the River Cats just posted their best fielding percentage in franchise history in 2024 (.982). In just the past four seasons, Cabrera has worked with eight MiLB.com Organization All-Stars in Sacramento, including PCL MVP David Villar in 2022, as well as working with Rawlings MiLB Gold Glove recipients including Casey Schmitt.

Cabrera’s coaching career began as the hitting coach for the AZL Giants in 2016 before becoming the manager for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (A-Short) in 2017 and the Augusta GreenJackets (Class-A) in 2018. Those positions came on the heels of a playing career that spanned over 20 years, including making his MLB debut with the Cleveland Indians on April 12, 1998. He would go on to play for the Indians (1998-2001), Dodgers (2002-03), Mariners (2004), and Reds (2008). The definition of utility, Cabrera played every infield and outfield position during his major-league career (except pitcher and catcher) and saw time in the 2001 American League Championship Series as member of Cleveland.

Quijano returns to Sacramento for his second season, his fifth total in the San Francisco organization after spending his first three as pitching coach with the Eugene Emeralds. Under his tutelage, the River Cats recorded 80 wins for the first time since 2012 and pitched their most innings in Sacramento franchise history (1,326.0). Additionally, the 1,460 strikeouts totaled were the second most in franchise history, while the .258 opponent batting average was the fourth lowest.

While in Eugene Quijano’s pitching staffs totaled no fewer than 1,286 strikeouts in each of his three seasons, and he helped mentor the Emeralds to an eye-popping 3.42 ERA and .220 opposing batting average during the 2022 campaign in which Eugene was 81-48. Additionally, Quijano was the pitching coach for the Gary SouthShore RailCats in the Independent American Association. Other stops included serving as the head coach at Olive Harvey College, as well as pitching coach at Grand View College where his pitching staff allowed the fewest walks in the nation and ranked second nationally in walks allowed per game.

Riggins returns for his second year with the River Cats, his fourth in the San Francisco organization after also serving as the hitting coach/strategist for the DSL Giants Black from 2022-23. Alongside former River Cats hitting coach Damon Minor, Riggins helped mentor the team to their best batting average (.265) since 2021 with the most at-bats as a team in Sacramento franchise history. The 837 runs scored last year by the River Cats were the fourth-most in franchise history, as were the 689 walks drawn.

Having spent over a decade as a coach, Riggins has also served at the high school level in New Mexico including stops as a head coach at Los Lunas High School (2010-12), Pojoaque Valley High School (2013-14, 2019), and Lovington High School (2016-18). Prior to 2020, Riggins was hired to serve as the development coach for the Rocky Mountain Vibes, though the season was cancelled. Riggins has also worked with the Amarillo Baseball Academy, and started his own training academy, Heavy Mettle Baseball.

Pilittere joins the San Francisco organization and the River Cats for his first season, most recently spending time as the assistant hitting coach for the Colorado Rockies for the 2022-2024 seasons. For all three seasons under Pilittere, the Rockies finished top five in the National League for doubles, and last season finished seventh in the N.L. in triples. Prior to his stop with Colorado, Pilittere worked the 2018-21 seasons with the New York Yankees, making the playoffs in all four seasons while twice coaching in the ALCS.

Originally drafted by the Yankees in 13th round of the 2004 MLB Draft, Pilittere played seven seasons and reached as high as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Triple-A), a team he would later serve as hitting coach for in 2017. Pilittere’s coaching career began in 2011 with his alma mater, California State University, Fullerton, but he quickly rejoined the professional ranks. Previous coaching stops for Pilittere include time as the hitting coach with the Charleston RiverDogs (2013), Tampa Yankees (2014), and Trenton Thunder (2015-16).

In the athletic training office, Reinker returns for his fourth season in the San Francisco organization, all with Sacramento after coming aboard for the 2022 season. Reinker brings a wealth of experience after working in the Los Angeles Angels organization from 2003-2021, including being named the PCL Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2015 with the Salt Lake Bees. Back for his second season with the River Cats is Walsh, who will enter his fourth year in the San Francisco organization after spending the prior two seasons with the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A). Walsh has also worked for five seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals organization (2017-2021) as a certified athletic trainer.

New to the River Cats this season is Strength & Conditioning Coach Chris Harms, though it will be his sixth season in the San Francisco organization. Harms’ time with San Francisco began in 2020 with the DSL Giants (Rookie) and continued with the AZL Giants (Rookie) in 2021, San Jose (2022), and Eugene (2023-24). After playing baseball and graduating Occidental College, Harms has served as a strength & conditioning graduate assistant for the University of Hawaii. Additionally, Harms was named the Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year for 2023-24 while with the Pacific Northwest League.

Joining the River Cats as a player development associate is Nick Solitario, though it is his third season with the San Francisco organization. In 2023 Solitario served as the baseball video and technology associate with the Eugene Emeralds (High-A), and he then reprised his role in 2024 with the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A). Prior to joining the Giants organization, Solitario was a baseball technology fellow with the Minnesota Twins for the 2022 season, assisting with FCL players and staff on video and technology needs.

Gaspard enters his ninth season with the San Francisco organization, with 2025 marking his third season as the home clubhouse and equipment manager for the River Cats. Originally, Gaspard worked in Arizona at the Giants’ Spring Training facility and as a visiting clubhouse manager in Sacramento. Prior to his time with the Giants, Gaspard served six seasons with the Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple-A) where he was a part of back-to-back Triple-A championships in 2013 and 2014.

The season begins on March 23 when the River Cats battle their parent affiliate in The 2025 Exhibition Game presented by Sky River Casino. A full season schedule is available online at www.rivercats.com, with game dates and times subject to change. Tickets and ticket memberships are currently available by calling a Sutter Health Park ticket representative at (916) 371-HITS (4487), or by visiting www.rivercats.com/tickets.