When the Seattle Mariners announced their minor league coaching staff for 2026, one big name was a noticeable absence.

Zach Vincej spent the last three seasons managing the Mariners' Single-A affiliate, the Modesto Nuts (2023-24), and High-A affiliate, the Everett AquaSox (2025). He won the California League championship from '23-24 and the Northwest League championship with the AquaSox in '25.

Vincej was named the Minor League Manager of the Year in 2024 by Baseball America.

Despite his accolades and his familiarity coaching several of Seattle's top prospects, including Colt Emerson (No. 9 MLB Pipeline), Lazaro Montes (No. 43) and Michael Arroyo (No. 67), he wasn't listed as a manager in the M's minor league coaching ranks, which raised some eyebrows.

The list was followed with news from Roundtable Sports' own Brady Farkas that Vincej would still be with the team, albeit in a different role.

That role was revealed Tuesday.

According to a news release from the Mariners, Vincej will be a defense/base-running coordinator in the minor leagues in 2026.

Vincej will be a part of the organization's minor league coordinators and roving instructors department, which also includes: Justin Toole (director of player development); Louis Boyd (assistant director of player development); Mat Snider (manager of player development); Catherine Antuna (assistant coordinator of player development); Luke Carlin (field coordinator); Rico Reyes (complex coordinator); Ed Paparella (hitting coordinator); Brock Stassi (assistant hitting coordinator); Justin Sartori (hitting strategist); Chris Young (assistant to director of pitching); Dylan Gargas (pitching strategist); Drew Hall (pitching strategist); Sam Berk (player development strategist); Mike Cameron (special assignment coordinator); Alvin Davis (special assignment coordinator) and Franklin Gutierrez (special assignment coordinator). 

Vincej had a professional playing career from 2012-21, which included two stints with Seattle. He had brief stints in the majors totaling 10 games for the Cincinnati Reds (nine games) in 2017 and the Mariners (one game) in '18.

Vincej got into coaching almost immediately after his playing days were over and has spent the entirety of his coaching/managerial career with Seattle.

Vincej was first hired to be on the coaching staff with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers in 2022, where he served as the bench coach. On April 20, 2022, he briefly served as interim first base coach for the Mariners in the major leagues when then-manager Scott Servais was out with COVID-19. Then-first base coach Kristopher Negron stepped up as the team's skipper in Servais' stead.

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