Jose Leger to Coach in MLB All-Star Futures Game
June 30, 2016 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
CHARLESTON, WV - Columbia manager Jose Leger will join long-time friend and St. Lucie Mets (Advanced-A) Manager Luis Rojas on the World Team's coaching staff for the MLB Futures Game during All-Star week in San Diego. Leger will coach third base in the 18th-annual contest that features the best young prospects from the U.S. and from around the world. The game will be played at Petco Park - the home of the Padres - on Sunday July 10 at 7:05 p.m. ET.
"I'm very excited, this is a big opportunity," Leger said. "We'll be surrounded by such great players and great fans that will be there to watch future big leaguers. It's an honor to be invited and be a part of the World Team. This opportunity, it puts you closer to where you want to be in the future. That's one of our goals, as coaches, to get to the big leagues."
The World Team's manager, six-time MLB All-Star Moises Alou - who also serves as the Special Assistant to Player Development in the Padres organization - invited Leger to coach in the game. Leger and Rojas coached together this past winter when they led the Leones del Escogido to a Dominican Winter League championship. Alou is the General Manager of that organization.
Leger will coach a 2016 World Team that features some of the brightest international players in the game. 21-year-old Red Sox infield prospect Yoan Moncada (MLB.com's No. 5 overall prospect) highlights this year's team. Fourteen former first-round draft picks will be featured in the game as well. Previous MVPs of the Futures Game include Alfonso Soriano, Jose Reyes and Kyle Schwarber.
In addition to Leger and Rojas, the New York Mets have two other prospects that will be on display in San Diego: Binghamton Mets (Double-A) first baseman Dominic Smith and Las Vegas 51's (Triple-A) short stop Dilson Herrera.
"This is a great day to be a Mets affiliate," said Fireflies Team President, John Katz. "Jose and Luis are both top-notch managers, and one of the two has been in our dugout in each of the past five seasons. Herrera was the spark plug on our 2013 Championship team, and Smith was a big impact player for us in 2014."
This isn't the first time Leger's coaching expertise has been acknowledged. After being named the South Atlantic League's Manager of the Year last season, the 34-year-old was invited by the Mets to help coach the big league club in September of 2015.
Leger played four years of professional baseball in the Twins organization from 2004-2008. The former infielder and catcher has been a manager in the Mets farm system the last seven seasons.
The Futures Game will air on MLB Network at 7:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 10. After a league-wide off day, Leger will re-join the Fireflies on July 12.
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