The Binghamton Rumble Ponies, a Double-A affiliate baseball team of the New York Mets, announced today changes to their coaching and player development staff for the 2026 season, including former Houston Astros catching coach Michael Collins taking over for Reid Brignac, who departed the team in December to join the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
Collins will look to be an important addition to the team, having formerly coached for the Australian national team in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classic, as well as coaching for the former Australian Baseball League team, the Canberra Cavalry, who, under his leadership, won the Claxton Shield as national champions for the first time in 2013.
The Rumble Ponies, who, under Brignac, reached their fourth title in franchise history, defeating the Erie SeaWolves in the 2025 Eastern League Championship and capping off a 90-win season, are looking to continue reaching new heights this season.
Along with changes to the managing role, the Rumble Ponies also announced that former Colorado Rockies (2016, 2023-2024) and Seattle Mariners (2019) pitcher Matt Carasiti will begin his first season with the team as pitching coach.
Hitting coach Rachel Folden will also begin her first season as the hitting coach for the team, and alongside her, Jake Hager, who spent 14 years as a utility infielder for the New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs, will also step into his first season with the Ponies as assistant hitting and infield coach. Mariano Duncan will return for his fifth year as bench coach and eighth year in the Mets organization.
The Rumble Ponies will have a chance to test their development under new leadership on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays’ Double-A affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, on Friday, April 3.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Former Houston Astros coach Michael Collins comes to Binghamton
Reporting by Aniya Sumner, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
