Padres Unveil 2025 San Antonio Missions Coaching Staff
SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 17, 2025 — The San Antonio Missions, in accordance with the San Diego Padres, are thrilled to announce their coaching staff for the 2025 season. Luke Montz returns for his third consecutive season as manager. Joining Montz is pitching coach Jeff Andrews, who will also be in
SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 17, 2025 — The San Antonio Missions, in accordance with the San Diego Padres, are thrilled to announce their coaching staff for the 2025 season. Luke Montz returns for his third consecutive season as manager. Joining Montz is pitching coach Jeff Andrews, who will also be in his third season with the Missions, while bench coach Miguel Del Castillo comes back for his second year in San Antonio. New to the Missions are hitting coach Eric Del Prado, athletic trainer Juan Peña and strength coach Chandler Craig.
Montz enters his sixth season as a minor league manager and third with the Padres organization. The former major league catcher led the Missions to the playoffs in 2023. He also managed 2024 MLB All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner Jackson Merrill. Last season, Montz oversaw a Missions squad with a 62-74 record.
"We could not be more excited to welcome back Luke Montz as the Missions manager for the 2025 season,” said Missions President Burl Yarbrough. “His tremendous leadership skills and experience at this level make him an asset to San Antonio.”
A Lafayette, La. native, Montz joined the Padres organization in 2023 after spending the previous four years in the Boston Red Sox organization. Before San Antonio, Montz managed Single-A Salem from 2021-2022 and Short-Season Lowell in 2019. Montz began his coaching career as an assistant with Double-A Portland during the 2018 season.
"It means a lot to me to continue to grow as a manager,” said Montz. “People have welcomed myself, my family to San Antonio with arms wide open. It's a place of comfort and a place that means a lot to us.”
The Montreal Expos selected Montz in the 17th round of the 2003 MLB draft out of Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas. Montz played over one thousand professional games across 13 seasons with five organizations (Montreal/Washington, New York (NL), Florida/Miami, Oakland and Boston). He made his major league debut in 2008 with the Washington Nationals and appeared in 10 games that season. Montz also played 13 games for the Oakland Athletics during the 2013 season.
“We're ready to get after it,” said Montz. “We’ll let time tell what kind of roster we’re looking at, and by the time we get there, we'll be ready to compete and go win a Texas League championship.”
Andrews commences his 40th season as a professional coach, a career that began in 1986 and has seen him work with five organizations. This will be his fifth season in the Padres organization and third with the Missions. His stints with the Padres span four decades, including 1998-1999 before returning in 2023. The Yankton, South Dakota native notably served as the pitching coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 2008 season. Most recently, he was the pitching coach for Double-A Frisco in the Texas League during the 2021 and 2022 seasons and from 2009-2015. A 25th-round pick of the Chicago Cubs in the 1981 MLB draft, Andrews played two seasons of Minor League Baseball after attending East Tennessee State University.
Del Prado is a newcomer to the Missions, but he is no stranger to the Padres system. He worked as a hitting coach at the Arizona Complex League (ACL) in 2023 before taking on the hitting coach role with Single-A Lake Elsinore during the 2024 season. A native of El Segundo, California, Del Prado attended Willamette University and coached for four years at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon.
Del Castillo, another familiar face in San Antonio, continues as bench coach for the second straight season. This marks his seventh year as a coach in the Padres organization after nine seasons as a player in the minors for the Padres, including nine games with the Missions in 2013 and 2016. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native kickstarted his coaching tenure as a manager for the Dominican Summer League (DSL) from 2018-19 before managing the ACL Padres in 2021. Del Castillo also worked as hitting coach at the ACL for two seasons before joining the Missions.
Peña embarks on his time with the Missions after winning one of only 14 Minor League Baseball Athletic Trainer of the Year awards last season for his work with Single-A Lake Elsinore. Peña worked in the Detroit Tigers organization from 2018-2023, with most of his time spent at the Florida Complex League. He is from Lakeland, Fla. and graduated from East Central University.
Craig joins the Missions after two seasons as strength and conditioning coach with High-A Fort Wayne. He previously spent two seasons with the Red Sox organization, including time with Single-A Salem. Craig is a native of Lubbock, Texas and graduated from Texas Tech University.
The Missions begin the 2025 season on Friday, April 4 at Nelson Wolff Stadium against the Amarillo Sod Poodles. Secure your tickets now by calling 210-675-7275, or visit samissions.com
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The San Antonio Missions are the Double-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The 2025 season will be the 123rd professional season for the San Antonio Missions. The 2025 schedule is out now! Call 210-675-7275 to discuss pricing for season tickets, group tickets and hospitality packages. The Missions Box Office is cashless, and fans can purchase tickets using credit cards. For more information, visit samissions.com.
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