Spokane Indians announce Tom Sutaris manager for 2026; Blaine Beatty returns as pitching coach | NWL baseball

The Spokane Indians, in conjunction with their parent club the Colorado Rockies, announced that Tom Sutaris will take over as manager for the 2026 season after serving as bench coach the past two seasons under previous manager Robinson Cancel, who was named manager at Double-A Hartford. 

Sutaris enters his third season in Spokane and his ninth in the Rockies organization. He was Hartford’s hitting coach from 2021-23. 

Sutaris spent 2018-19 with High-A Lancaster and served as an assistant baseball coach at the University of Incarnate Word in 2017 and a special assistant for the University of Texas baseball team from 2014-17. The New Jersey native played professionally in the independent Frontier Baseball League from 1993-96, earning All-Star nods in 1993 and 1996, while also serving as the team’s hitting coach in 1995.

Pitching coach Blaine Beatty also returns for the 2026 season. Beatty embarks on his eighth season in the Rockies organization, third as the pitching coach with the Indians, and 29th season coaching overall.

In 2022-23, Beatty was the pitching coach for Double-A Hartford, and previously served in a similar role with Albuquerque (2021) and Grand Junction (2019). Prior to joining the Rockies, Beatty spent 12 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles organization (2006-18), three seasons in the New York Mets organization (2003-05) and five seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization (1998-2002). 

Beatty was drafted by the Orioles in the ninth round of the 1986 first-year player draft and totaled 12 seasons in the minor leagues.

Physical performance coach Allison Krajewski and athletic trainer Toshi Nagahara also return.

The rest of the staff is expected to be released in the coming weeks.