The final Opening Day in the 77-year history of the Modesto Nuts is on Friday, when the Low-A club welcomes the San Jose Giants to John Thurman Field. A revamped roster and coaching staff will be there to welcome local baseball fans and to begin not just their farewell tour, but yet another defense of the California League title.
At Tuesday morning’s media availability, returning Seattle Mariners prospects reflected on their time in Modesto, while new faces, including manager Luis Caballero, expressed a strong desire to continue the club’s winning ways throughout their last ever season.
“I think the expectations are the same,” said Caballero. “We as coaches will prepare these guys to get out on the field and compete and give the fans a good show… Obviously, there's two years of success down here in Modesto, and understanding this is the last year for Modesto baseball, we just want to continue that success and give the fans a fun season.”
The new skipper enters his 10th season in the M’s organization. He served as manager for the ACL Mariners in each of the last three seasons, spending the previous five seasons (2017–21) with the DSL Mariners. Caballero signed with the Atlanta Braves as an amateur free agent out of Panama in 2010, appearing in 307 career minor league games with the Braves and Mariners organizations from 2010–15.
Caballero takes over for Zach Vincej, who in his only two seasons as a professional manager, led the Nuts to California League championships in 2023 and 2024. He, like many of the players he oversaw and instructed, earned a promotion from the Mariners, becoming the latest manager of the High-A Everett AquaSox. Joining him in the Pacific Northwest are former Modesto stars Colt Emerson, Tai Peete, Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo.
But with the departure of last year’s highly regarded prospects brings the arrival of perhaps the most hyped player in the Seattle farm system, Felnin Celesten.
Celesten arrived in Modesto on Sunday to prepare for his first season under a minor league affiliate. The 19-year-old is ranked as the Mariners’ No. 5 prospect and is the 72nd-ranked prospect in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline, after signing out of the Dominican Republic for $4.7 million in 2023. At the Arizona Complex League last season, he was hindered by a pair of hamstring injuries before undergoing season-ending surgery in July to repair his left hamate. He is now healthy and ready to make his highly-anticipated professional debut.
“I’m very excited to be here,” he said through a translator. “I have a lot of fun playing this game, and I want to be one of the most exciting players on the field.”
Also providing entertainment on (and off) the diamond will be pitcher Walter Ford, whom many fans know as the “Vanilla Missile.” It’s not just his nickname from high school, but the name of his online brand, and a show of his personality that has made him a social media favorite. The 6-foot-3 righty was called up to Modesto from the Complex League in late July and racked up 32 strikeouts in eight games.
“I’m one of the very few returning pitchers, so holding that chip on my shoulder, I definitely want to go out there…set an example, the example that we set last year, whenever we made it all the way to the championship,” Ford said. “Just continuing throughout this year, and of course, just helping the team, helping the guys. There's eight guys out there depending on me every night, so going out there, and then giving it my all for those eight guys, I’m looking forward to it.”
No Opening Day starter has been announced, though the pitching staff is deep with the likes of Pedro Da Costa Lemos (who started two playoff games last year) and Ryan Sloan (last year’s 55th overall pick in the MLB Draft) available alongside Ford.
First pitch Friday is slated for 6:40 p.m., and will have a postgame fireworks show. Saturday’s game starts at the same time, with the first 500 fans receiving a free replica 2024 California League championship ring.
The full Nuts game and schedule for the 2025 season is available at www.milb.com/modesto.
On Dec. 12, the Mariners sold the Nuts organization to Diamond Baseball Holdings. As a result, they’ll relocate to San Bernardino, where the Inland Empire 66ers, the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, currently play. In 2026, the Angels will move their affiliation to Rancho Cucamonga to play as the Quakes. The Quakes are currently an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and will relocate to a new stadium in Ontario in 2026 under a name to be announced later.
The team was originally founded in 1872 as a makeshift community club, the Modesto Red Caps. By the early 1900s, they rebranded as the Modesto Reds, competing in a local league. Two years after joining the Cal League as a non-affiliated club in 1946, the club became affiliated in 1948 with the St. Louis Browns, then the Pittsburgh Pirates (1949–1952), Milwaukee Braves (1953), New York Yankees (1954–1961), Houston Colt .45s (1962–1964), Kansas City Athletics (1966), St. Louis Cardinals (1967–1974), Oakland Athletics (1975–2004), Colorado Rockies (2005–2016), and the Mariners since 2017.
“As we reflect on the incredible memories and community support that have defined our journey, we invite our fans to join us in celebrating a season filled with fun, nostalgia, and heartfelt goodbyes,” said GM Veronica Hernandez in a February press release. “We look forward to seeing everyone at the ballpark as we create one last season of unforgettable moments.”
