Mets name Luis Rojas as Binghamton manager

The newly-minted Binghamton Rumble Ponies have a new manager to go along with the new name. Luis Rojas will manage the Mets’ Double-A affiliate, with Glenn Abbott serving as the pitching coach and Luis Natera as the team’s hitting coach.

The Rumble Ponies had a vacancy in the managerial position when longtime manager Pedro Lopez was promoted to take the helm of the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s. Rojas comes to Binghamton with a promotion as well, as he was the manager of the St. Lucie Mets for the past two seasons.

Rojas, like Lopez, continues to rise within the Mets organization. He started out in Single-A with the Savannah Sand Gnats for three seasons and led them to a championship in 2013. Two years later he headed to High-A ball in St. Lucie.

In his first year with St. Lucie, the team had a record of 68-70, but the team bounced back and enjoyed a successful season in 2016. They had a 74-61 record and a won a division title. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2012 but fell to the Bradenton Marauders in the Division Series.

Rojas will have big shoes to fill in Binghamton since Pedro Lopez was the all-time winningest coach in the Binghamton’s history.