Pedro Lopez will return as the Isotopes manager for the 2024 season – his second season at the helm.
Last year the team went 68-82 overall and finished second place in their division in the second half of the season. Last year the Isotopes started their roster with Nolan Jones and Brenton Doyle who quickly got called to the Colorado Rockies after hot starts to the year.
Lopez has been a minor league coach for 20 seasons and has an overall record of 1047 - 1059, according to Minor League Baseball. This will be his fourth season on the Isotopes staff.
Former Lobo Jordan Pacheco is returning for his third season as the hitting coach. Hitting has not been a problem since his arrival with the team, him being near the top of the league in most counting stats. Last year, the team had a franchise record of 959 runs, which was third in the Pacific Coastal League. The team was also third in the league in hits, Runs Batted In, batting average and on base percentage.
Chris Michalak is returning as the pitching coach for his second season. Michalak will continue to battle the altitude and the Rockies taking pitchers as soon as they show promise. Last season, the Rockies were last in MLB in Earned Run Average (ERA), which is reflected with the Isotopes who were ninth in the league last season with a 6.51 ERA. The team gave up the most hits, earned runs, had the feast strikeouts and opponents had the highest batting average against Isotopes pitchers with a .295 average.
In his first season with the Rockies organization, Michael Ryan will be the team’s bench coach. He is a former outfielder and has previous Isotopes experience, playing 33 games in 2008. Ryan has previous experience coaching; he was the manager for High-A and Double-A teams for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs, according to Minor League Baseball.
The team also announced Hoshi Mizutani will return for his fourth year with the Isotopes as the head athletic trainer. Luke Schroering will act as the assistant athletic trainer; this will be his first season in the Rockies organization. Mason Rook is the physical performance coach for the second straight season.
The Isotopes have their home opener on Friday, March 29 against the El Paso Chihuahuas.
Thomas Bulger is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @thomasbulger10
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Thomas Bulger is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @thomasbulger10
