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By Dave Lezotte (@davelezotte)
February 13, 2026
LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia – The Atlanta Braves announced today their minor league coaching staffs for the 2026 season. The Gwinnett Stripers will be led by manager Kanekoa Texeira (3rd season), hitting coach Dan DeMent (3rd season), pitching coach Lance Carter (1st season), assistant pitching coach Tyler Dalton (1st season), coach Rubén Gotay (1st season), and coach Angel Flores (1st season).
Welcome back, Tex 🤝
View full 2026 coaching staff: https://t.co/BzfmrcEuEi pic.twitter.com/ZhMygAFHPX
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) February 13, 2026
Gwinnett’s staff also includes athletic trainers Greg Harrel (3rd season) and Jesus Aviles (1st season), and strength and conditioning coach Tyler Enns (4th season).
Your favorite @officialeague merch just dropped at Bobby’s Tackle FYI
🛍️: https://t.co/HlyY7wep8m pic.twitter.com/eBqPPGos6D
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) March 3, 2026
Texeira enters his 10th year as a coach in the Braves organization, his sixth as a minor league manager and third leading the Triple-A affiliate. Since he was named the eighth manager in Gwinnett history on January 25, 2024, “Tex” has compiled a 135-165 record in 300 games with the Stripers. He is the second former Gwinnett player to manage the club, having pitched in 66 games from 2014-16.
ICYMI: We turned up at Gwinnett Field yesterday during our annual @CocaCola Preseason Party 😤
T-minus 25 days until Opening Night. See you there. pic.twitter.com/6rsIqTUrvP
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) March 2, 2026
Texeira owns a career managerial record of 327-354 in 681 games between Gwinnett, High-A Rome (2021-22), and Double-A Mississippi (2023). Following an 11-year playing career that included Major League time with the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners, he began his coaching career as a pitching coach with Rookie-level Danville (2017-18) and Rome (2019).
BREAKING: The Gwinnett Stripers have announced they will indeed still be giving away a Chris Sale bobblehead on Saturday, August 8th. https://t.co/mV6pWXrZij pic.twitter.com/gog5MhxTuQ
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) February 24, 2026
DeMent returns for his third season with the Stripers, also his third in the Braves organization. He joined Atlanta in 2024 following 15 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays.
https://twitter.com/GoStripers/status/2023412088853692886?s=20
The Palos Heights, Illinois native has coached at every level, including two years in Major League Baseball as the Rays’ Assistant Hitting Coach (2022-23). DeMent’s minor league resume includes stints with Rookie-level Princeton (2009), the Gulf Coast League Rays (2010-11), Class-A Hudson Valley (2012-13), Class-A Bowling Green (2014-15), Double-A Montgomery (2016-17), Triple-A Durham (2018-19), and Gwinnett.
Carter enters his first season as Gwinnett’s pitching coach, his fourth year as a member of the Braves organization. The Bradenton, Florida native joined Atlanta in 2023 as a pitching coach in the Florida Complex League and spent the last two years (2024-25) as the Braves’ Rehab Pitching Coordinator. Following last season, he was the pitching coach for the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League.
A big-league reliever with the Royals, Rays, and Los Angeles Dodgers and a 2003 American League All-Star, Carter has gone on to a 14-year career as a pitching coach. His prior posts include Class-A Williamsport (2010-11) with the Philadelphia Phillies organization and Class-A Lowell (2015-17), Class-A Salem (2018-19), and Double-A Portland (2021-22) with the Boston Red Sox organization.
In honor of #BlackHistoryMonth, enjoy 30% off on all Atlanta Black Crackers merchandise in-store and online!
🛍️: https://t.co/TlGQvdA8Gg pic.twitter.com/AIPMMEh75G
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) February 18, 2026
Dalton makes his Triple-A coaching debut with Gwinnett as he enters his third season in the Braves organization. The Mansfield, Massachusetts native spent the last two years as a pitching coach with the Braves’ Florida Complex League affiliate.
Gotay, an infielder with Gwinnett for 129 games from 2011-12, rejoins the club as a coach. The Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico native embarks on his second season in the Braves organization after spending 2025 as the hitting coach with Class-A Augusta.
A former Major Leaguer with the Royals, New York Mets, and Braves, Gotay has gone on to minor league coaching positions with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Phillies, and Braves organizations. His previous posts include High-A Clearwater (2018-19), High-A Greensboro (2021-22), and Triple-A Indianapolis (2023).
Flores makes his Triple-A coaching debut with the Stripers in his ninth year with the Braves organization. He is reunited with Texeira, having served as a coach on his Rome staff in 2021.
The Manati, Puerto Rico native spent the previous three seasons as a minor league manager, leading Rome (2023, 2025) and Mississippi (2024) to a combined 185-211 record in 396 games. He has also served as a coach with the Gulf Coast League Braves (2019), Rome (2021), and Mississippi (2022).
That's a scorching hot Nacho. https://t.co/xSORUNF6uN
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) February 27, 2026
Harrel enters his fourth season as an athletic trainer in the Braves organization. Since starting his career in 1986, he has worked for five different Major League organizations, including the Texas Rangers, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Dodgers, and Braves. Harrel has served three stints as an MLB assistant athletic trainer with the Rangers (2003), Dodgers (2012-14), and Marlins (2020).
Aviles, entering his eighth season as an athletic trainer with the Braves organization, joins the Stripers after spending 2025 with Double-A Columbus. His previous posts include the Dominican Summer League Braves (2019), Rome (2021-22), Augusta (2023), and Mississippi (2024).
Enns begins his sixth season as a strength and conditioning coach with the Braves organization. He joined the Stripers in 2023 after serving in the same role with Rome (2021) and Mississippi (2022).
The Gwinnett Stripers begin their 17th season with Opening Night at Gwinnett Field on Friday, March 27. The opener of a three-game series vs. the Memphis Redbirds starts at 7:05 p.m. Single-game tickets go on sale to the public on Monday, February 16.
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