The Captains recently announced their coaching staff for the 2026 season, and it will again be headlined by Omir Santos as manager.

This season will mark Santos’ fourth consecutive stint leading Lake County from the dugout.

Also returning in 2026 are Bryce Ball, who will be one of two hitting coaches, and strength and conditioning coach Andrew Coleman, now in his third year with the club.

Six staff additions for the 2026 campaign include Bench Coach Eric Stamets, Pitching Coach Shane McCarthy, Hitting Coach Ian Forster, Head Athletic Trainer Yuka Ogata, Assistant Athletic Trainer Sho Katayama, and Development Coach Jonathan López.

Santos, 43, is 216-175 in his first three seasons as manager of Lake County. Last season, he became the winningest and longest-tenured manager in team history after guiding the Captains to a second-half playoff spot in the Midwest League’s East Division.

In 2024, Santos led the Captains to the Midwest League championship, the club was Baseball America’s MILB Team of the Year, and catcher Cooper Ingle was named league MVP.

Stamets, 34, joins Lake County after serving as Developmental Coach for the High Single-A Asheville Tourists the past three seasons.

In 2019, Stamets made his major-league debut with Cleveland as the team’s opening day shortstop. He played in 15 career MLB games, all with Cleveland. Stamets’ Ohio ties are strong. He played minor-league ball with the Akron RubberDucks and Columbus Clippers in the minors, and prepped at Dublin Scioto High School in the Columbus area.

McCarthy was an 18th-round pick by Cleveland in 2018 out of Seton Hall, and pitched four minor-league seasons with the Guardians organization from 2018 to 2023.

Ball, 27, most recently served as Development Hitting Coach for the Guardians organization, spending considerable time with the Captains.

Forster, 30, most recently served as one of two hitting coaches for the RubberDucks in 2025. He is a Strongsville native who graduated from North Olmsted and then later Baldwin Wallace.

Lake County’s 2026 season begins with a three-game series against West Michigan on April 2 at Classic Auto Group Park. First pitch is April 2.