The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have promoted Tony Leo to head athletic trainer and have hired Masamichi Abe and Matt Biancuzzo as assistant athletic trainers. Strength and Conditioning Coach Perry Castellano will remain in his current role, and the Twins have promoted Erik Beiser to assist Castellano in a strength and conditioning coach role.
Leo recently completed his 21st season with the Twins organization and his seventh as assistant athletic trainer. Prior to joining the Twins, Leo spent 2005-10 as a trainer at Triple-A Rochester, 2002-04 with Double-A New Britain, 2000-01 with Single-A Quad Cities, 1998-99 with Rookie-Elizabethton, and 1997 with the GCL Twins. He was named the Eastern League All-Star Game trainer in 2003, was selected to work the Arizona Fall League in 2005 and was named Triple-A All-Star Game trainer in 2009. Leo is also a Fellow of Applied Functional Science (FAFS) through the Gray Institute, and attended Bowling Green State University, where he received his B.S. in sports management with an athletic training emphasis.
Abe recently completed his seventh season as an athletic trainer in some capacity in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, spending 2016-17 with Triple-A Reno, 2014-15 with Double-A Mobile, 2013 with High-A Visalia, 2012 with Rookie-Missoula, and 2011 with the AZL Diamondbacks. He also trained for the Japanese Team during the World Baseball Classic in 2017 and in the Arizona Fall League in 2013 and '14. He was named 2017 Pacific Coast League Athletic Trainer of the Year, a 2013 Professional Baseball Athletic Training Society Scholar and 2012 Frontier League Athletic Trainer of the Year. He graduated with a degree in exercise science from the University of Arkansas, including a master's degree in biomechanics.
Biancuzzo comes to the Twins with 12 years of experience in athletic training, most recently as a performance medicine therapist and athletic trainer for Cirque du Soleil from 2010-17. Prior to that, Biancuzzo served as an assistant athletic trainer for Georgia Southern University from 2008-10 and as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for Florida State University from 2006-08. In addition to his training experience, he also served as a strength and conditioning coach in 2009 for Cressey Performance and Jungle MMA and Fitness. He earned a master's degree in sports administration from Florida State University and a B.S. in health sciences from the University of Central Florida.
Current Strength and Conditioning Coach Perry Castellano will return to the Twins for his 19th season in 2018. 2017 marked his 11th season in that role with the Twins. Prior to that, Perry spent five years in the Twins minor league system in a similar capacity and two years with the Texas Rangers.
Beiser recently completed his eighth season with the Twins and fifth as the minor league strength and conditioning coordinator. He previously served as strength and conditioning coach for Triple-A Rochester in 2012, Single-A Ft. Myers in 2011 and Rookie-Elizabethton in 2010. Prior to joining the Twins organization, he served in the same role for the GCL Cardinals in 2009. Beiser earned his master's degree in kinesiology with a concentration in sports performance from Louisiana Tech. He also earned his B.S. in exercise science and health promotion from Florida Atlanta University.