Tucson has more than a dozen players or coaches in the big leagues at the start of the 2025 season, although Miami pitcher Andrew Nardi (UA), Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales and former UA pitcher Kevin Ginkel of the Diamondbacks open the season on the injured list.
The Tucson/UA players: outfielder Robert Refsnyder, Red Sox; catcher Austin Wells, Yankees; shortstop Kevin Newman, Angels; and pitcher Tylor Megill, Mets.
New York Yankees’ Austin Wells watches the ball after hitting a home run during the first inning of against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in New York.
The coaches from Tucson/UA in the big leagues: Cincinnati manager Terry Francona; Cincinnati bench coach Brad Mills; Pirates assistant pitching coach Brent Strom; Yankees assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler; Orioles first base coach Anthony Sanders; Mariners field coordinator Louis Boyd; and Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long.
Former Sahuaro High outfielder Alex Verdugo, who spent the last eight years with the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox, is opening the season at Triple-A Gwinnett in the Atlanta system.
