Zach Vincej should never manage another game in Modesto. 

He’s too good.

The Seattle Mariners have begun their annual process of announcing front office changes and the major league coaching staff. They are expected to reveal the staffs for their four minor league affiliates in January or February, and there has been no indication that Vincej will receive a promotion in the system.

In his first two seasons as a minor league manager, Vincej led Single-A Modesto to consecutive California League championships. En route to the titles, the Nuts went 158-113 between the regular and postseason. As a result, he was honored as Seattle’s Minor League Staff Member of the Year, and during spring training, was named the manager for the organization’s inaugural Spring Breakout roster, a collection of the Mariners’ best minor league players and staff members. 

The Mariners have already given Vincej opportunities at higher levels, giving him his first coaching job as a Triple-A assistant in 2022. On April 20 of that year, he even served as the big league first base coach when then-manager Scott Servais and staff members contracted COVID-19 and had to be isolated.

The Santa Clarita native has not been shy about moving up the coaching ranks, and the Mariners should give him the opportunity.

“I know it's cliché, but I really believe that if I put all my efforts in being the best manager that I can be by getting guys better, creating really good relationships, holding guys accountable, making sure the guys get what they need every single day, opportunities will come my way,” he said during September’s postseason run.

Aside from the impressive managerial record and the abundance of hardware, Vincej is beloved by players.

“He’s great,” said outfielder Jonny Farmelo. “He’s a really good communicator. We never hesitate to ask him things. He seems to know what he’s talking about. He’s been there and experienced this all himself. (He’s) always pushing us to get better everyday.”

The 33-year-old skipper himself experienced a long minor league grind. He played eight seasons in the minors, and made his dreams a reality when he appeared in 10 MLB games with the Reds (2017) and Mariners (2018). In 2016, while with Double-A Pensacola, Vincej won the Minor League Gold Glove as a shortstop. Cole Young, Seattle's second-ranked prospect who played for Modesto in 2023, credited Vincej for improving his defense. Vincej is regularly seen doing infield drills with players before games.

“In the beginning of the year, I’d ask him a ton of questions, but now since we’re in the middle of the season, I feel like I’ve already asked him enough questions,” Young joked that year. “I remember asking him ‘Do you ever get annoyed that I ask too many questions?’ and he was like ‘No, ask away.’

“It goes the other way, too. We go out there and do our routine every single day. If he sees something I need to work on, he’ll tell me. He’s been really helpful and I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better at defense, especially the past few months.”

Young has climbed to Double-A since his time in Modesto. The 21-year-old’s defensive metrics have improved each step of the way. In his 78 games with the Nuts in 2023, the shortstop posted a .947 fielding percentage with 14 errors in 263 total chances, including four of the team’s nine through their first four games. By the time he was promoted to High-A, he recorded just one in nearly a month’s time. Young spent the entire 2024 season with Arkansas, committing just 10 errors in 445 tries between shortstop and second base.

Vincej also throws batting practice most days and is a regular participant in the team’s baserunning drills.

“He does everything,” said outfielder Curtis Washington Jr. “He’s the best.”

Vincej has said he will continue to do his best at whatever role he has in professional baseball, and is hopeful his hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Ultimately, I just want to be the best coach that I can be, whether I'm a manager or infield coach or whatever,” Vincej said. “I want to be a coach that, if I was a player, I’d really love having. I strive for that. For me, it's just trying to be the best that I can be in Modesto and see where it takes me.”

It’s time for the Mariners to take notice. And action.