Inside the Mind of a Manager: Gabe Alvarez – Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens

When we look at the farm systems for each team in Major League Baseball, the unsung heroes in developing the stars of tomorrow are the managers who shape that talent in the minor leagues.

Regardless of the level, managers are always tasked with putting their players in the best positions to succeed. To thrive as a manager in the minor leagues in particular, coaches need to strike a balance between setting a winning culture and individual player development.

After you wade through the obvious organizational expectations and structure, the mindsets and makeup of minor league managers are highly unique.

Built from a combination of personal experience, observing the failure and success of managers before them, we’re kicking off a new series for an inside look into minor league management.
On July 20th, I sat down with Gabe Alvarez, the manager of the Toledo Mud Hens. The Mud Hens are the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

Taking a managerial role with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves in 2022, Alvarez led the SeaWolves to a pair of first-place finishes, three consecutive playoff berths, was selected as Eastern League Manager of the Year in 2023, and secured back-to-back Eastern League titles in 2023 and 2024 before his promotion to the Toledo Mud Hens for the 2025 season.

During my conversation with Alvarez, we discussed the culture of the Tigers’ organization, some of his managerial inspirations, personal growth, investing in the future of his players, and much more.

Here is my full conversation with Alvarez, as we get a look inside the mind of a minor league manager. The following Q&A was transcribed as spoken.

Q & A with Toledo Mud Hens Manager Gabe Alvarez

Emily Waldon: When did you begin to see yourself becoming a manager after your playing career?

Gabe Alvarez: I always knew I wanted to coach. I didn’t know if I wanted to manage when I was a player. I didn’t know if I just wanted to coach somewhere or manage. I was enjoying coaching. When I was at USC, I enjoyed coaching.

When I first came to the Tigers as a hitting and infield coach, I was enjoying that. It was actually Ryan Garko (Tigers’ vice president and assistant general manager) who approached me about managing, and I said, “Yeah, why not? Let’s give it a shot.” Then, as soon as I started doing it, I knew very early on that this was what I wanted to do.

Waldon: When you started to weigh the idea of managing during your playing career, did you ever have that inner conflict of, “I’m not ready to be done playing yet, but I can feel myself being pulled in the direction of being a manager”?

Alvarez: Yeah, a little bit. But I knew I was going to play until I couldn’t. So sooner or later, someone kind of takes that uniform from you as a player. But I knew that I wanted to coach. I didn’t know if I wanted to manage. And now, the only thing I want to do is manage.

Waldon: For someone who’s not familiar with the differences between coaching versus managing, how would you describe that?

Alvarez: Just being able to have a hand in everything and all aspects of the game. I try not to stick my nose in too many things. I want to let my coaches coach, but I do have a say in everything, and I love the player development side of it and working out plans for guys to get better and hopefully become big leaguers.

Waldon: After coaching at USC, what are some of the biggest adjustments to handling that age group versus coming up to the professional level? What did that balance look like for you?

Alvarez: Yeah. It is different, no doubt, but I think a lot of it really prepared me for how to deal with young people. Obviously, they’ve grown up differently from the way I grew up. It taught me how to be able to adjust and to reach different people because I firmly believe that it’s my job to find out how to reach each player and get on their level.

I’ve heard a lot of coaches say, “Well, everybody better adjust to me.” I don’t think that’s the case at all. I think it’s my job to adjust to them and to find out how to reach them. I try to remember that every day that I’m out here.

Waldon: What does your process look like for getting to know these guys on a level that will allow you to better understand how to guide them individually.

Alvarez: Yeah, I think you try to coach every player differently. You get to learn and see what they need, how they like to be coached, how they respond, and how they develop to different coaching styles. There’s no doubt that we have players who, and there’s no right or wrong answer, but there are players who like to be coached differently, and it’s our job to maximize their potential.

Waldon: Meeting them where they are.

Alvarez: Yeah, exactly.

Waldon: It’s lost on no one how solid the culture of the entire Tigers’ organization is right now. Having been at different levels within the organization, how much fun has this been for you to be a part of and to see it come to fruition?

Alvarez: It’s great. It’s great. I’m so proud to be a Tiger. I’m so thankful and grateful to be a Tiger. I think we have a lot of really good people here. I think it shows, and it starts at the top. The Tigers’ front office and the Major League coaches have always treated us great and always made it easy.

It makes it easy for us to go to work every day, and they’ve been great. I think you’re starting to see it this year, the last couple of years, where there’s a lot of success happening all through the organization, and that’s so great to see. It’s so exciting to see.

Waldon: You’ve had the opportunity to manage in the Eastern League and now in the International League. What were some of the biggest adjustments to your managerial style when it comes to managing the different personalities in both their development as players, but also as people?

Alvarez: I mean, I think you hit it on the head with making sure that each individual is cared for differently. The baseball part of it is what stays the same. I think it’s off the field and in their personal lives. You have players who are in a different point in their lives, in their careers, and that’s different.

But the goal is still the same. We still come to the ballpark and try to get better every day. And we try to get guys, whether it’s back to the big leagues or to the big leagues for the first time, the goal is to get them ready to play so that if AJ (Hinch) or Scott (Harris) need them, they’re prepared.

Waldon: In your playing career, were there any managers or coaches who really made an impact on your life with their management style and helped prepare you for your own process?

Alvarez: Yeah, I had a couple of coaches in college. My head coach, Mike Gillespie at USC, he passed away a few years ago, but he had a tremendous impact on my life. Still my favorite coach I ever played for. We had our hitting coach when I was at USC, Frank Cruz.

He and I have always remained really close, and he’s actually the person who gave me my first coaching opportunity, so I am forever indebted to him. In pro ball, the two guys that come to mind are my Triple-A manager here when I was in Toledo, Gene Roof.

Waldon: I remember Gene very well. Wonderful man, and was always so kind to me.

Alvarez: Yeah. Roofie was just a great coach and a great person. He was the one who got me ready for my first opportunity with the Tigers.

Then my first big league manager, Buddy Bell, he was the other one. I love Buddy, and I wish I could have played for him longer. He was a tremendous coach, a tremendous person, and just made you want to run through a wall for him. I would say those four coaches come to mind.

Waldon: In seeing the high points and low points of your players day to day, what has been the most fulfilling for you personally as you watch these guys continue to grow?

Alvarez: On the field, the moment when something clicks for a player, there’s nothing like that feeling. When you’ve been working at something with the player and then you see it, you see that light bulb moment where it finally clicks for them, that I absolutely love.

I think off the field, seeing them around with their families, seeing guys, whether they’re bringing their kids in or their brothers or fathers, and seeing them interact with their family is always special for me.

I always tell them to make sure to include their family in their baseball journey because I always tell them when they’re done playing, that’s what they’re going to remember.

That’s what their family is going to remember. They’re not going to remember every home run you hit or every strike that you had on the mound, but they’re going to remember the times you brought them into the locker room, the times they were on the field with you. I always tell them, include them in your journey.

Waldon: For someone who’s either coaching or managing at the collegiate level and wants to break into professional baseball, what are a few lessons that you’ve learned that you would like to pour into this next generation to help prepare them?

Alvarez: I think you should educate yourself on the different teaching methods. There are all the numbers and analytics, and you definitely have to know that, and know the baseball side of it, too. There’s the stuff that is hard to teach, the baseball feel.

I would say the number one thing would be to always keep learning and keep trying to educate yourself and get better, whatever it may be. Whatever conferences you may go to to hear different people speak. I think every time I hear different people speak at a conference, I end up learning something from somebody, even if I’m not expecting to.

It’s always great. But I would say keep learning, keep evolving, keep getting better. I think this game demands that from us. To keep improving and keep getting better.

Waldon: And the game isn’t slowing down. So if you don’t keep up, it’s going to leave you behind.

Alvarez: Yeah, no doubt.