An official press release from the Kingsport Mets website announced on Tuesday their coaching staff for the 2014 Appalachian League season.

Jose Leger, will return as the Kingsport Mets manager, Jonathan Hurst as pitching coach and Yunir Garcia as the teams hitting coach as they try to defend their 2013 Appalachian League West Division title. This will be the third consecutive season together for the coaching staff.

Leger previously served as the manager for the Dominican Summer League Mets for two seasons. Prior to becoming the manager, Leger was the hitting coach for the Dominican Summer League Twins in 2009, and played in the Minnesota Twins’ minor league system from 2004-2008 as a catcher and infielder. He also attended Georgia College State University and was selected to the All-Conference team twice.

Hurst will begin his fifth season as pitching coach for the Kingsport Mets and his ninth as a pitching coach in the Mets organization. In 1992, he pitched for Montreal Expos and in 1994 he appeared in seven games for the New York Mets.

Garcia, who enters his third season as hitting coach for the Kingsport Mets, also begins his seventh season as a coach in the Mets organization after previously serving as the hitting coach with the Gulf Coast Mets in 2011. Garcia was the manager of the Dominican Summer League Mets in 2010.

(Photo Courtesy of Kingsport Mets)