The Rockies announced the 2022 coaching staff for Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday, bringing back Warren Schaeffer for a second season as manager while also tabbing former Colorado infielder Jordan Pacheco as hitting coach.
Albuquerque’s staff is rounded out by bench coach Pedro Lopez and pitching coach Frank Gonzales. Lopez is in his third season in the organization and was previously the Isotopes’ bench coach, while Gonzales is in his 10th year with the Rockies and served as the pitching coach for Double-A Hartford last year.
Schaeffer was originally drafted in the 38th round out of Virginia Tech in 2007 and spent six seasons playing in Colorado’s minor league organization before transitioning to coaching. Prior to managing Albuquerque, he managed Hartford (2018-19) and Low-A Asheville (2015-17) and enters his ninth season in the Rockies organization.
Lopez began his coaching career in the Rangers’ system from 2000-07 following a 13-year professional playing career in the Padres, Brewers and Astros organizations. The former catcher/first baseman played as high as Triple-A.
Gonzales is a La Junta native and the father of Mariners ace and former Rocky Mountain star Marco Gonzales. Meanwhile Pacheco, Colorado’s ninth-round pick in 2007 out of the University of New Mexico, played for the Rockies (2011-14), Diamondbacks (2014-15) and Reds (2016). Across six major-league seasons he slashed .272/.310/.365, with 10 homers, 62 doubles and 114 RBIs in 377 games.
While the Rockies’ farm teams have excelled in the lower minors in recent years, winning games has been a struggle in Albuquerque. The Isotopes have posted six losing seasons since becoming the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate in 2015. That included a 58-72 mark last year as Albuquerque finished 52-68 in the regular season and in the bottom half of the Triple-A West League.
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