Emperors Announce Wynston Sawyer as Manager, Retain Majority of Staff

The Atlanta Braves, in conjunction with the Rome Emperors, today announced the High-A coaching staff which includes the 14th and newest manager of the franchise, Wynston Sawyer.

After managing the Single-A Augusta GreenJackets for two seasons, Sawyer makes the jump to High-A Rome for the 2026 season and will be surrounded by a host of familiar faces in the clubhouse. The Emperors retain Pitching Coach Horacio Ramirez, Hitting Coach Connor Justus, Coach Bobby Moore, Athletic Trainer Tom Adams, and Clubhouse Manager Cody Starkey. New additions include Coach Phil Caulfield and Strength Coach Jordan Small.

Sawyer, a California native, was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles as a catcher in the eighth round (238th overall) of the 2010 MLB Draft out of Scripps Ranch High School in northeast San Diego. He elected free agency after seven years in the Orioles organization and went on to play three more years of affiliated baseball, reaching as high as Triple-A Rochester within the Minnesota Twins system. In two seasons with the Augusta GreenJackets, Sawyer compiled a 116-142 record in the Carolina League.

Caulfield, another Californian, attended Skyline Junior College in San Bruno, Ca (where his coaching career would later begin) before transferring to Loyola Marymount where he was named first team All-WCC in both 2016 and 2017. The Washington Nationals selected the LMU Lion in the 32nd round (973rd overall) of the 2017 MLB Draft. After three seasons with Washington the second baseman then turned to Independent League baseball for the remainder of his career, last playing for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in 2023. Caulfield now serves as a Player Development Coach for the Atlanta Braves.

Small’s professional journey began at Division III Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Ga where he was an infielder for one season before transferring to Florida State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology. Upon graduation in Tallahassee, Small then moved west to Gainesville to earn his M.S. in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology in Human Performance from the University of Florida. Jordan previously interned with Yale University’s Strength and Conditioning Department and was most recently a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Houston Astros.

Some notable departures for the Emperors include former Manager Angel Flores who is now a coach for the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers and former Strength Coach Julian Rip who accepted a new role as the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the St. Louis Cardinals.