Pedro Lopez promoted to manage Triple-A Las Vegas

Longtime Mets Double-A manager Pedro Lopez has been promoted to the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s. Lopez, 47, has managed the Binghamton Mets since 2014. He will join a returning coaching staff that includes pitching coach Frank Viola and hitting coach Jack Voight.

Lopez, 47, has managed within the Mets’ minor league system since 2008, but is perhaps best known for his time with the Binghamton Mets, who he led to an Eastern League title in 2014. He managed the team to a 314-252 (.555) record during this time, while developing many players who are on the major league roster today.

A favorite within the organization, it has been speculated that Lopez could eventually be a candidate to replace major league skipper Terry Collins once his time as manager comes to an end. Lopez interviewed at Collins’s request for the position of bench coach before the 2016 season.

Lopez’s well-deserved promotion comes on the heels of a split between the Mets and their former Triple-A manager Wally Backman.