The Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) hired Rachel Balkovec as their Director of Player Development.
Balkovec, born in Nebraska in 1987, managed the Tampa Tarpons to a 61-69 record in the 2023 season. The Tarpons are the New York Yankees affiliate in the Class A Florida State League.
The Yankees named Balkovec the Tarpons manager in 2022, making her the first woman to serve as a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) manager.
She was previously a hitting coach in the Yankees' organization, a role she earned in May 2020. She was strongly recommended to the Yankees by hitting coordinator Dillon Lawson, who met Balkovec during her time as a strength and conditioning coordinator for the Houston Astros.
The Astros became the first MLB organization to hire a woman as a Farm Director when they named Sarah Goodrum, at the time the Milwaukee Brewers hitting coordinator, their Director of Player Development in early 2022.
