Russell Returns as Tacoma Manager; Farris, Mejias-Brean, McCarthy Join Staff

John Russell returned for a fourth season as the Tacoma Rainiers manager, headlining a coaching staff unveiled by the Rainiers and the Seattle Mariners. The move preserves continuity after a breakthrough 2024-25 stretch and signals the organization’s continued investment in a familiar developmental approach as Tacoma prepares for the 2026 Triple-A campaign.

Russell’s résumé with Tacoma is formidable. The 10-year Major League veteran guided the Rainiers to a Second Half Championship and a playoff berth in 2025, and he has compiled a 245-205 record over his three seasons at the helm. Those 245 victories ranked fourth among all Triple-A managers in that span. Under Russell the club won 82 games in 2024 and then 86 in 2025, the most in the Rainiers Era and just the second time the franchise has posted consecutive 80-win seasons.

Keeping the core staff intact is a clear priority. Eric Farris returns for his fourth season in Tacoma and his third as bench coach, bringing nine years in the Mariners organization and a background that includes a managerial stint with High-A Everett. Seth Mejias-Brean comes back to Tacoma as the hitting coach after previously serving as the Rainiers’ bench coach in 2022 and working as a hitting coach across Modesto, Everett and Double-A Arkansas. Mejias-Brean also has on-field ties to Tacoma as a player; he appeared in 115 games for the club from 2017-18, hitting .267 with 19 doubles, four triples and nine home runs.

Mike McCarthy will assume pitching coach duties, arriving with a track record of improved staff metrics. While pitching coach at Triple-A Gwinnett in 2024, McCarthy’s staff posted a 1.37 WHIP tied for the International League lead and a 4.33 ERA that was second-best in the league. His résumé includes a Major League role as Oakland’s bullpen coach in 2023 and prior Triple-A stops in El Paso, Rochester and St. Paul.

The athletic training and performance staff also saw continuity and experience added. Aric Quinney returns for a fourth season as Tacoma athletic trainer and seventh with the Mariners. Amanda Lee joins as an athletic trainer after serving with Double-A Arkansas and earlier as a certified athletic trainer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Strength and conditioning coach Corey Measner returns for his third season in Tacoma, bringing over a decade of performance experience including a Minor League S&C role with the San Diego Padres.

From an industry perspective, Tacoma’s staffing signals the Mariners organization doubling down on homegrown coaching and player development continuity. For fans, that stability matters: consistent coaching philosophies can accelerate prospect development and keep Tacoma competitive while strengthening the Mariners’ pipeline. There is also a local resonance when former Rainiers players like Mejias-Brean return to coach, reinforcing community ties between the team and its fan base.

The Rainiers open the 2026 season on the road at Reno on Friday, March 27, with a home opener scheduled for Tuesday, March 31 against the El Paso Chihuahuas at 6:05 PM. With a proven skipper and a blend of returning and veteran coaches focused on pitching, hitting and player care, Tacoma aims to build on recent success and remain a key stop for prospects and a focal point for the Pacific Northwest baseball community.