Former Dragons Hitting Coach Alex Pelaez Added to Reds Coaching Staff

DAYTON, OHIO – Former Dayton Dragons hitting coach Alex Pelaez has been named to the 2025 coaching staff of the Cincinnati Reds under the leadership of new Reds manager Terry Francona. Pelaez becomes the seventh Dragons coach or manager to go on to coach in the major leagues. A total of 149 Dragons players have gone on to play in the big leagues.

Pelaez (puh-LY-uz) was named to the position of Reds assistant hitting coach. Recently, the Reds named former Dragons shortstop Chris Valaika (vuh-LAY-kuh), a Midwest League all-star with the Dragons in 2007, as their new hitting coach. The Reds also announced that Freddie Benavides, the Dragons manager in their inaugural season of 2000, has been retained by Francona as part of the 2025 coaching staff. Benavides finished the 2024 season as the Reds interim manager and will return to the role of bench coach with the added title of field coordinator. Benavides has spent the last nine seasons on the Reds coaching staff.

Pelaez spent three seasons as the Dragons hitting coach from 2011-13. The 2011 Dragons set a franchise record that still stands for highest team batting average in a season with a club that included future major leaguers Billy Hamilton, Tucker Barnhart, and Donald Lutz. Pelaez also coached future MLB all-star Jesse Winker with the Dragons in 2013. Pelaez has served as a coach in the Reds minor league system for the last 17 seasons.

The list of former Dragons coaches or managers who went on to coach in the major leagues includes Freddie Benavides (Dragons manager in 2000), Alonzo Powell (Dragons manager, 2004-05), Delino DeShields (Dragons manager, 2011-12), Ted Power (Dragons pitching coach, 2002), Tony Jaramillo (Dragons hitting coach, 2009); and Derrin Ebert (Dragons pitching coach, 2016-17). Two others, Ken Griffey Sr. (Dragons hitting coach, 2010) and Juan Samuel (Dragons bench coach, 2022) coached in the major leagues prior to coaching for the Dragons.