The Hartford Yard Goats will head into the 2026 season with a revamped coaching staff, an expanded lineup of college baseball games and a promotional schedule built around the 10th anniversary season of Dunkin’ Park, team officials announced.
The club, the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, named Robinson Cancel as manager, with Michael Ryan joining as bench coach and Jerry Sullivan as pitching coach. Hitting coach Zach Osborne returns, and Justin Wilson will serve as athletic trainer.
Cancel, a Puerto Rican former major league catcher, played parts of four seasons in the majors, including 27 games with the New York Mets in 2008. He enters his 10th year as a coach in the Rockies’ system and his first at the Double-A level. He previously managed the Spokane (Washington) Indians, the Rockies’ High-A league affiliate.
Cancel also led the Fresno (California) Grizzlies to playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022 and managed the Atlanta Braves organization at the rookie level.
Yard Goats General Manager Mike Abramson said the new staff brings a mix of experience and player-development background.
Ryan, 48, arrives after two seasons as bench coach at the Albuquerque (New Mexico), a Triple-A affiliate of the Rockies. A former outfielder, he played five major league seasons with the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels and later managed multiple minor league clubs, including a Double-A championship team in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was also a standout player for the New Britain Rock Cats, leading the club in hits and RBIs in 2000.
Sullivan takes over the pitching staff after serving as pitching coach at the Single-A Fresno team last season. He joined the Rockies organization in 2024 following coaching work in independent baseball and an eight-year minor league playing career, primarily in the San Diego Padres system.
Osborne returns for his third season as Hartford’s hitting coach. A former Yard Goats infielder, he was part of the franchise’s inaugural 2016 roster and is the first former player to return to the club as a coach.
Team officials also announced that Dunkin’ Park — named Best Double-A Ballpark of 2025 in the Newsweek Fans’ Choice Awards — will again host college and collegiate league games this year, marking the ninth season of amateur baseball at the stadium.
The spring schedule includes Eastern Connecticut State University vs. Plymouth State on March 28, the University of Connecticut vs. the University of Rhode Island on April 21, and the University of Hartford vs. Western Connecticut State on April 24 for Baseball in Education Day. A Futures Collegiate Baseball League game between the Westfield Starfires and Vermont Lake Monsters is set for July 15.
The Yard Goats also unveiled a 2026 promotional schedule centered on the ballpark’s 10th anniversary, featuring 23 postgame fireworks shows after every Friday and Saturday night home game, along with theme nights and giveaways throughout the season.
Highlights include two games played under the Hartford Rock Cats name on May 27 and 28, honoring the former New Britain franchise that produced stars including Hall of Famer David Ortiz. An Ortiz bobblehead giveaway is scheduled for May 28.
Other featured promotions include a Hartford Whalers Alumni Game on July 31 with hockey-style jerseys and postgame fireworks, Jackie Robinson Day on April 15 with commemorative bracelets, and multiple heritage and community nights recognizing Irish, Italian and Polish culture, as well as Pride Night, Military Appreciation Night and Mental Health Awareness Night.
The club will again take the field as Los Chivos de Hartford on select dates as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión initiative and will host a Negro League celebration game honoring trailblazers of the sport.
The Yard Goats open the 2026 season at Dunkin’ Park on April 2 against the Chesapeake Baysox. Single-game tickets, season plans and group packages are on sale through the team’s website and box office.
