ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—The Tampa Bay Rays have announced Michael Johns as their first base coach.
“I am thrilled to congratulate and welcome Michael Johns to serve as our first base coach,” Manager Kevin Cash said. “He has had many roles within our organization, and I look forward to him bringing his experience to the Major League club.”
Johns, 48, enters his 19th season in professional baseball, 17th as a manager, coach, or coordinator, and his first assignment at the major league level, where he will focus on assisting with the outfielders and baserunning efforts.
Johns spent last season managing Triple-A Durham, leading the Bulls to an 88-62 record and a trip to the International League Championship Series. He joined the Rays on December 11, 2007 and served as a coach in Hudson Valley from 2008-09. He spent the next eight seasons managing Rookie-level Princeton (2010-12), Short-A Hudson Valley (2013), Class-A Bowling Green (2014) and Class-A Charlotte (2015-17). He served as a minor league field coordinator from 2018-22 before resuming managerial duties with Durham this past season.