COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — West Michigan Whitecaps manager Brayan Peña is headed back to LMCU Ballpark, returning for his third season at the helm in 2023 with a blend of new and familiar faces within his coaching staff as part of a move announced in conjunction with the Detroit Tigers on Monday.
The former Detroit Tigers catcher and 14th manager in Whitecaps history led his team to a 72-59 record in his second season – a 14-win improvement from his first year in 2021. The second half was especially strong for West Michigan – posting a 41-24 mark in the latter portion of the year. West Michigan posted one of the best offenses in the Midwest League, ranking within the Top-3 in virtually every offensive category, while their pitching staff tied for the league lead in shutouts with 13.
“I love the Whitecaps and what we represent,” said Peña. “I’m very thankful to God and the Tigers organization for blessing me with a chance to come back and stay home in West Michigan!”
“You want to play for a manager like Brayan Peña,” said Whitecaps Vice President and General Manager Jim Jarecki. “Brayan brings passion and enthusiasm to the ballpark daily and always dedicates his time to those in the clubhouse.”
Peña’s reassignment to the ‘Caps comes alongside a return for a former player, as Francisco Contreras takes over as hitting coach. Contreras played parts of two seasons in a utility role, and was a vital piece of the 2015 Midwest League Championship team. The 31-year-old hit .294 with a home run and six RBI in the 2015 postseason to help the ‘Caps to their last league title. Contreras served as the hitting coach for the Lakeland Flying Tigers in 2022.
Contreras joins a group of new faces to West Michigan, including pitching coach Dan Ricabal, and development coach Tim Garland, while athletic trainer Sean McFarland returns for his second season in 2023. The remainder of the coaching staff will be announced at a later date.
“My passion is to help our young players to be successful,” said Peña. “Their success tomorrow depends on our support today.”
Ricabal spent 2022 managing the pitching staff of the Double-A Erie Seawolves to the best record in their division at 80-58. His pitchers compiled the second-best ERA in the Eastern League at 3.79, finishing second in the league in strikeouts. Ricabal’s previous stops include time as a Pitching Coach at his alma mater and perennial college baseball power Cal State Fullerton. Before his time with the Titans, the Los Angeles native served as pitching coach at multiple stops in the college ranks at Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, and College of the Canyons. Ricabal played six seasons in the minor leagues, making it as high as Double-A within the farm systems of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
Garland spent the 2021 season as the developmental coach with the Low-A Lakeland Flying Tigers. The Baltimore native played 15 seasons in the minor leagues stealing over 350 bases and now enters his 15th season as a coach. Garland has spent time in the minor league systems on the Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros before becoming the hitting coach for Lakeland from 2017-19. McFarland, an alum of Bowling Green State University and the 2018 New York-Penn League Athletic Trainer of the Year, has worked in the Tigers system since 2017.
Peña enjoyed a variety of accolades in 2022, opening the season by guiding the ‘Caps to their 2,000th win on Opening Night on April 8 at Great Lakes. The native of Havana, Cuba, becomes the first manager to serve three seasons or more since Andrew Graham guided the Whitecaps from 2014-16. Near the end of last season, Peña was named the top managerial prospect in the Midwest League in a vote of his peers to Baseball America.
“From the front office on down, the entire Whitecaps family has earned my respect and loyalty,” said Peña. “This organization makes sure our team is in a great place every day to be successful.”
“Win or lose, Brayan Peña knows how to handle and motivate the players through a long season,” said Jarecki. “As his presence continues in West Michigan, we look forward to another energized season with the Whitecaps.”
The Whitecaps have preparations for the 2023 campaign well underway. The scheduled season opener is Thursday, April 6, at LMCU Ballpark against the Fort Wayne TinCaps at 6:35 p.m. Get information on 2023 season tickets by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
