Eric Wedge to Return for Second Season as Drillers Manager
The Tulsa Drillers season is set to begin in just over two months, and a key piece is now in place as the club prepares for the 2026 campaign. Today, the Drillers and the Los Angeles Dodgers announced that Eric Wedge will return in 2026 for his second season as
The Tulsa Drillers season is set to begin in just over two months, and a key piece is now in place as the club prepares for the 2026 campaign. Today, the Drillers and the Los Angeles Dodgers announced that Eric Wedge will return in 2026 for his second season as Tulsa’s manager.
Wedge returns after becoming the 24th full-time manager in franchise history last season, guiding the Drillers to their first Texas League postseason appearance since 2022. That playoff berth was the result of an impressive second-half turnaround, as Wedge led Tulsa to 14-game improvement and a 40–29 record in the second half after the team finished the first half of the season 17 games under .500.
“I am thrilled to be returning to Tulsa and to begin another season in the Dodgers player development system,” said Wedge. “Both are outstanding organizations with rich baseball histories, and I am very optimistic that we will have another talented team for fans to see at ONEOK Field this season.”
Wedge is one of the most experienced and most accomplished managers in Tulsa baseball history. Prior to joining the Drillers last year, he had previously spent ten seasons managing at the major league level, including seven years with the Cleveland Indians and three with the Seattle Mariners. His most successful season came in 2007, when he was named the American League Manager of the Year after finishing just one game shy of leading Cleveland to the World Series.
“It is great to have Eric back for a second season in charge of our squad,” said Brian Carroll, Drillers Vice President of Baseball Operations. “His past experience and success speak for themselves. The progress and development that he and his staff produced from last year’s team was obvious, and it sets us up for and exciting 2026 campaign.”
Wedge will likely be working with a Tulsa roster this season that will include a number of the top prospects from the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system.
Leading the way could be outfielders Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope, the #1 and #2 ranked prospects in the Dodgers organization. Both De Paula and Hope joined the Drillers for the final week of the 2025 regular season. They are both ranked among the top 20 prospects in all of Minor League Baseball by MLB Pipeline.
Other possible roster candidates for the upcoming season could include potential returners James Tibbs III, Adam Serwinowski, Patrick Copen, Peter Heubeck, and Zach Ehrhard.
The Drillers are slated to open the 2026 season on Thursday, April 2, when they host San Antonio at ONEOK Field. Tickets for Opening Night and all 69 regular-season games are on sale now at TulsaDrillers.com.
Season memberships are also on sale for the upcoming season and can be purchased HERE.