Endy Chavez (Jacob Resnick/MetsMerized)

The St. Lucie Mets announced their coaching staff for the upcoming 2020 season with some returning faces and newcomers joining the Class High-A Affiliate.

Chad Kreuter returns for his fourth season as the team’s manager, becoming the first manager in team history to work a fourth consecutive season. Sources told this writer weeks ago that the organization has remained high on Kreuter as a manager, offering him promotions to coach in higher levels. Chad reportedly declined the offers and requested to remain in Class High-A, stating he very much enjoys the developmental league and working with the players in their careers to this point. Many players from the 2019 season praised coach Kreuter and his hard nosed approach.

“If he see’s you looking off in an outing, poor mechanics, delivery or effort he will immediately take you aside and have you hear about it. He will then help get you back on track and provide detailed insight on what’s going wrong from his perspective.”

The team is coming off its best record (68-66) since 2016, a tall task for a team who saw a bulk of its rotation and top relievers earn promotions in the second half of the year.

Royce Ring will serve as the pitching coach after spending the 2019 season in this role with the Class-A Columbia Fireflies. He was around to help shape the development of a young core of pitching prospects including now former Mets top pitching prospect Simeon Woods-Richardson, Daison Acosta, Jose Butto, Bryce Hutchinson and Tylor Megill among others.

Bruce Fields returns as hitting coach for his second season with the affiliate. He comes with prior major league coaching experience that includes time as Cleveland Indians hitting coach from 2011-12 and Detroit Tigers hitting coach from 2003 until being named bench coach for them in 2005.

Quote from a player on the 2019 St. Lucie squad about Bruce Fields, “He was always an open book. He was ready and wanting to help in any way he could. Best part was that you could tell he cared and wanted to see you succeed and get better.”

St. Lucie this season for the first time will employ a bench coach in Endy Chavez. The former Mets player broke into coaching ranks last season with the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Kory Wan makes his return to the affiliate as its performance coach after having previously been in the role back in 2016. Wan has spent the past three seasons serving as performance coach with Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

Hiroto Kawamura begins his fifth year in the Mets organization and his second as the team’s trainer. Kawamura was the Fireflies trainer in 2018, the GCL Mets trainer in 2017 and the Mets Dominican Republic trainer in 2016.

The St. Lucie Mets open their season April 9 on the road against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. The first home game of the season is April 11 vs. the same Fort Myers squad.