Victor Estevez named Midwest League Manager of the Year

MILWAUKEE – Class-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers manager Victor Estevez today was named Midwest League Manager of the Year by Minor League Baseball. The award was voted on by fellow league managers.

In his first season as Wisconsin manager, Estevez guided the Timber Rattlers to a 77-54 record and a trip to the Midwest League Championship Series. Wisconsin went 42-24 in the first half to win the first-half Midwest League West Division title and qualify for the postseason.

Estevez has earned a Manager of the Year award in consecutive seasons as he was honored as Carolina League Manager of the Year in 2023 after guiding Class-A Carolina to its first postseason appearance since 2008. The Brewers have had two Minor League skippers win Manager of the Year in 2024 with Carolina manager Nick Stanley earning the award in the Carolina League.

Estevez, 36, just completed his 12th season in the Brewers organization and ninth as a Minor League manager. Prior to leading the Timber Rattlers, Estevez spent 2022-23 managing Carolina. He guided the Rookie DSL Brewers from 2016-21 and served as the organization’s DSL field coordinator from 2021-22. Estevez began his coaching career as an infield coach with the DSL Brewers from 2013-15.

Additionally, second baseman Jadher Areinamo and right-handed pitcher Craig Yoho were named Midwest League All-Stars by league managers.

Areinamo, 20, batted .301/.349/.442 with 30 doubles, 10 HR, 68 RBI, 63 runs and 32 stolen bases in 110 games with Wisconsin in 2024. He won the Midwest League batting title, led the league in doubles (30) and ranked among leaders in hits (4th, 128), extra-base hits (T4th, 40), total bases (5th, 188), RBI (5th, 68), slugging percentage (7th, .442), OPS (9th, .791) and stolen bases (T9th, 32).

Signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela in 2021, Areinamo was named a Carolina League All-Star at second base in 2023.

Yoho, 24, went 1-0 with a 0.44 ERA (20.1ip, 1er) and 7 saves in 16 relief appearances for Wisconsin before being promoted to Double-A Biloxi on May 30. He struck out 37 of the 77 batters he faced, posting a 0.69 WHIP and a .119 (8-for-67) batting average.

Selected in the eighth round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Indiana University, Yoho is 4-2 with a 0.95 ERA (56.2ip, 6er), 99 strikeouts and 9 saves in 47 games between Wisconsin (16g), Biloxi (18g) and Triple-A Nashville (13g) this season.