The Mahoning Valley Scrappers have named former Major Leaguer Raul Gonzalez manager for the 2026 season where he makes his managerial debut.
Additional coaching staff includes hitting coach Orlando Merced and pitching coach Jason Stanford.
“I am honored to be a part of the 2026 Mahoning Valley Scrappers,” Gonzalez said. “My mission, alongside the staff around me, is to prepare these young athletes for the next level – professional baseball. We’re excited to bring some great talent to Niles, Ohio.”
Gonzalez was drafted at age 17 by the Kansas City Royals in the 17th round of the 1990 draft. The Puerto Rico native made his Major League debut for the Chicago Cubs in 2000. His final Major League Baseball appearance was in 2004 for the Cleveland Indians.
Since 2011, Gonzalez has served as an advance scout for the Detroit Tigers, hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox (Gulf Coast League) and Kansas City Royals (Burlington Royals), and Arizona League hitting coach for the San Diego Padres. During the 2023-2024 season, he served as the assistant hitting coach for the Arizona Complex League Guardians.
Merced played 13 seasons in the majors. His MLB career included the Pittsburgh Pirates (1990–1996), Toronto Blue Jays (1997), Minnesota Twins (1998), Boston Red Sox (1998), Chicago Cubs (1998), Montreal Expos (1999) and Houston Astros (2001–2003). He played one season for the Orix BlueWave (2000) in Japan and helped the Pirates win the National League East Division in three consecutive seasons, from 1990 through 1992. He also was part of the Astros’ 2001 National League Central Division champions.
Stanford is a former left-handed starting pitcher who played for three seasons with the Cleveland Indians. While there, he won the prestigious Bob Feller award. Locally, Stanford served as head coach for the Howland Tigers baseball team (2010-2012) and Youngstown State University pitching coach (2012).
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are one of six founding members of the MLB Draft League, joining the Aberdeen Ironbirds, State College Spikes, Trenton Thunder, West Virginia Black Bears and Williamsport Crosscutters. The Scrappers are set to open the 2026 season on June 2 against the State College Spikes at 7 17 Credit Union Field at Eastwood. For more information, visit here.
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