Bio

Battle Jr. enters his second season as Ducks bench/hitting coach. The 41-year-old helped guide Long Island’s offense to the second-best batting average in the Atlantic League in 2026 at .288 (York, .308). The Ducks set an Atlantic League single-season record with 692 walks and set franchise single-season records for home runs (190) and stolen bases (320) under his guidance. Additionally, four position players had their contract transferred during the 2026 season, including first baseman/DH Juan Yepez (Dorados de Chihuahua), infielder Henry Kusiak (Minnesota Twins), catcher Caleb Roberts (Twins) and infielder Nick Roselli (New York Mets). Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio earned Atlantic League Postseason All-Star honors, was named the Ducks Team MVP and set franchise single-season records for homers (30) and RBIs (108).

The former outfielder previously served as manager of the State College Spikes in the MLB Draft League for two seasons (2024-25) after serving as the team’s hitting coach in 2023. Under his guidance, the team posted a combined record of 79-73, reaching the MLB Draft League Championship game in 2025 and posting a league-best 41-37 record in 2024. The Georgia native was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the third round of the 2003 amateur draft and went on to play 14 seasons of professional baseball, including 42 games with the York Revolution of the Atlantic League in 2014.