Padres Announce 2026 Fort Wayne TinCaps Coaching Staff
MWL Fort Wayne TinCaps

Padres Announce 2026 Fort Wayne TinCaps Coaching Staff

Published on January 21, 2026 under Midwest League (MWL)
Fort Wayne TinCaps News Release


FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The San Diego Padres have announced the coaching staff for the 2026 Fort Wayne TinCaps season. Jonathan Mathews returns as manager after bringing the club to a second-half East Division title in 2023.

Mathews will be joined by pitching coach Yorman Bazardo, the former big leaguer with the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and Florida Marlins. Jerry Downs returns from the 2023 staff as the hitting coach after assuming the same role with Single-A Lake Elsinore last season. Luis Mendez returns for his second season as the bench coach with Yuki Matsuzawa as the athletic trainer. Connor Shadroo is back as the team's strength and conditioning coach alongside performance analyst James McCormick, and award-winning clubhouse managers Sam Lewis and Hunter Sosenheimer. Lewis has also been named the Padres' Coordinator of Minor League Services, adding additional help within the organization.

Mathews, 53, also served as Fort Wayne's hitting coach from 2018 to 2021. He joined San Diego's organization in 2017 as a member of the major league coaching staff. The last two seasons, he has been working as one of San Diego's minor league hitting coordinators.

"Fort Wayne is near and dear to me," Mathews said. "I love the city; I love the ballpark. Mike Nutter and his crew do an incredible job, and Parkview Field is a destination. I couldn't be happier to be back in Fort Wayne in the manager seat."

The Centerville, Iowa, native played collegiately at Indian Hills Community College (Iowa) and the University of New Orleans. He was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 1994 MLB Draft. After a season as a first baseman in Colorado's minor league system, Mathews transitioned to coaching at the University of Iowa and with the Minnesota Twins' organization. In 1997, he was the hitting coach for the High-A Fort Myers Miracle, whose lineup included future Hall of Famer David Ortiz and future MLB All-Star and former Fort Wayne Wizard A.J. Pierzynski. Mathews managed the rookie-level Elizabethton Twins in 1998 and '99. He then returned home to coach at Indian Hills, where he also taught economics, from 1999 to 2012, before jumping back into professional baseball. Mathews coached in the Baltimore Orioles' farm system in 2013 and for the next three years in the Arizona Diamondbacks' system.

Mathews' lineage in professional baseball goes back directly to his father, Rick, a longtime coach and scout currently working as the Special Assistant for Player Development for the Colorado Rockies. Rick worked as the Rockies' bullpen coach from 2003 to 2008 under Clint Hurdle, making the World Series in 2007.

"The entire Tincaps organization is very excited to welcome back our former manager and great friend Johnny Mathews to be the skipper of the 2026 Tincaps," TinCaps President Mike Nutter said. "When the San Diego Padres reached out and told us their plan, we were very happy to hear about Johnny returning, as well as the rest of his staff. Fort Wayne TinCaps fans are some of the best supporters and most passionate fans in the entire country for minor-league baseball, and they will certainly be happy to hear that Johnny is returning. He's a great guy in the community, he understands the mission of the TinCaps and Padres, and he has a winning pedigree. We know that we have the right man in charge."

Bazardo, 41, made 25 big league appearances, including eight starts across four seasons. He also played 10 seasons in the minor leagues, accruing 1,112 innings pitched and a 3.91 ERA. He ended his playing career in 2017 after multiple seasons away from the States in Venezuela, Mexico, and Italy. A native of Maracay, Venezuela, Bazardo became a pitching coach in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 2018, before joining the Padres organization in 2023. He spent 2025 as the pitching coach for Lake Elsinore. Bazardo is also the older brother of Seattle Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo, who made nine appearances in the playoffs in 2025.

Downs, 32, is originally from Colombia, but moved to Miami during his childhood. He was drafted in the 15th round by the Boston Red Sox in 2015, playing five years in their organization. While Downs was with Single-A Greenville in 2015, he was teammates with future MLB stars Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers, and Yoán Moncada. He played the last two summers with the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League (MLB partner league). Downs is the older brother of former first-round pick Jeter Downs, who made his major league debut with the Red Sox in 2022. In 2025, Downs was the hitting coach for Single-A Lake Elsinore and Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League.

Mendez, 33, makes his return as the TinCaps bench coach for a second season. The Venezuelan native played in the minors for nine seasons, all of which were in the Texas Rangers organization, totaling 506 games. Following his retirement in 2019, Mendez began his coaching career with the Tri-City Dust Devils before the COVID-19 pandemic cut down the 2020 season. Mendez then spent the next three seasons as the manager of the rookie-level Dominican Summer League (DSL) Padres before managing the Arizona Complex League (ACL) team in 2024.

The Padres will announce the TinCaps roster in late March. The team is projected to be led by 20-year-old left-handed pitcher Kash Mayfield, Baseball America's No. 3 Padres prospect, who San Diego drafted 25th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. Opening Day at Parkview Field is set for Tuesday, April 7, against the A's-affiliated Lansing Lugnuts.

2026 Fort Wayne TinCaps Coaching Staff

Manager: Jonathan Mathews

Pitching Coach: Yorman Bazardo

Hitting Coach: Jerry Downs

Bench Coach: Luis Mendez

Athletic Trainer: Yuki Matsuzawa

Strength Coach: Connor Shadroo

Performance Analyst: James McCormick

Clubhouse Managers: Sam Lewis and Hunter Sosenheimer

Season tickets for the 2026 Fort Wayne TinCaps season are also available now. Packages are flexible for fans, with options including 12 games, 17 games, a half-season, a full season, and even more customization. The TinCaps will be at home for Mother's Day (May 10), Memorial Day Weekend (May 22-24), Father's Day (June 21), and the Fourth of July.

Check out the Fort Wayne TinCaps Statistics

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