The Washington Nationals didn't make the postseason this year, but that doesn't mean October is short on Rochester Red Wings connections. Many of the teams in the playoffs have players and coaches Wings fans may remember. Some were mainstays of the club; others made only brief appearances. Still others never played for the Red Wings but have ties to the region. While several of these teams have already been eliminated, here's a look at the Rochester connections among the clubs that reached the Division Series.
Going in no particular order, but starting in the American League, there are the Tampa Bay Rays. Their most prominent player with Red Wings ties is probably pitcher Griffin Jax, who pitched in three games for Rochester in late 2019 while in the Twins organization. He likely would have pitched more for the Wings if the COVID-19 pandemic hadn't canceled the 2020 season.
While Jax is the only Rays player who is a Rochester alum, he's not the only connection between ESL Ballpark and Tropicana Field. Second baseman Richie Palacios' brother, Josh, hit .298 in 76 games for Rochester in 2022. Their uncle, Rey Palacios, played one game for the Red Wings in 1993 before retiring from baseball and becoming a longtime firefighter with the Rochester Fire Department.
Corey Dickerson, the Rays' first-base coach, also had a brief three-game stint with Rochester in 2023.
The biggest connection between the Red Wings and the New York Yankees was undoubtedly Luis García Jr., who was traded from Washington to the Bronx in August. The deal also brought new faces to Rochester: Jack Cebert, Jake Bird, Ben Grable and Yovanny Cruz, the players the Nationals received in return, all made appearances for the Wings in 2026. García was one of the first stars of Rochester's Nationals era, hitting .297 with 22 home runs and 70 RBI across 107 games between 2021 and 2023.
Other Yankees connections included Cody Bellinger, whose father, Clay, played for Rochester in 1996. Paul Goldschmidt's parents met as students at RIT. And while Aaron Judge, who missed the Yankees' ALDS roster because of injury, never played for the Red Wings, he was at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Court Street when he received his MLB call-up in 2016.
The Cleveland Guardians didn't have any major Red Wings connections, but the Chicago White Sox had one in pitcher Erick Fedde. He made one rehab start for Rochester in 2022, pitching four scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out four.
The Milwaukee Brewers have a connection in bullpen coach Charlie Greene, who played 77 games for the Red Wings as a catcher in 1998.
San Diego Padres ace Michael King was born in Rochester, where his father, Jim, worked at WHEC-TV at the time. King grew up in Rhode Island. Two members of San Diego's coaching staff also played for the Red Wings. Catching coach Kevin Plawecki appeared in 24 games for Rochester in 2023. Infield coach Nick Punto played just four games for the Wings in 2005 but was a mainstay with the Twins for several seasons during their affiliation with Rochester.
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Alex Call played 91 games for the Red Wings across three seasons. He spent time with the defending champions this year but was left off their NLDS roster. Reliever Brusdar Graterol made four appearances for Rochester in 2019, when he was just 20 years old, but injuries have kept him sidelined this season.
The Dodgers also have two Red Wings connections on their coaching staff. Hitting coach Aaron Bates played parts of two seasons in Rochester. The first baseman especially impressed in 2011, when he posted a .408 on-base percentage that ranked among the league's best. Bench coach Danny Lehmann caught for Rochester in 91 games across four seasons.
The lone player on the Atlanta Braves with Red Wings experience was Lane Thomas, who played three games for Rochester in 2021, going 5-for-13 with a home run. He was injured for most of September but returned to Atlanta's roster for the NLDS.
One of the most beloved Red Wings of the 21st century also served as Atlanta's third-base coach: Tommy Watkins. Nicknamed “The Mayor,” the Twins-era infielder played parts of four seasons for Rochester in the 2000s. He especially impressed in 2006 and 2007, hitting .276 and .272, respectively. He was twice named the Red Wings' most popular player and earned most civic-minded player honors three times.
Across the diamond from Watkins was another former Red Wing: Antoan Richardson, Atlanta's first-base coach. The speedy Bahamas-born outfielder played 82 games for Rochester in 2013, hitting .265 and stealing 25 bases while being caught just twice. Another connection was bullpen coach J.P. Martinez, who pitched in two games for Rochester in 2007.
In all, the organizations highlighted here included six players and nine coaches who had played for the Red Wings, along with several others with ties to Rochester. Their stories show how far those connections reach each October and underscore the Red Wings' role in developing baseball's stars of tomorrow.
