MLB News: Conditioning Coach Set To Become League’s First Female Manager

Rachel Balkovec quietly contributed to Major League Baseball (MLB) when she served as a hitting coach of the New York Yankees’ rookie-level Florida Complex League.

Now, it appears the 34-year-old former catcher will hit the record books

According to The Athletic, Balkovec will be named the team manager for the Yankees’ Low-A affiliate in Tampa this season.

This comes roughly after a year when Balkovec served as the first-base coach for the All-Star Futures Game in Denver.

“There’s not a day that doesn’t cross my mind and think about my actions. … Everything I went through early in my career, I had some trouble getting in, things along the way that have happened, makes it worth it when you know that you’re making change like that. … It’s definitely something I don’t take lightly,” Balkovec stated at that time.

Among the past accomplishments of the Nebraska native include being a strength-and-conditioning coach in the minor leagues for the Cardinals and Astros before joining the Yankees.

Although she has been in baseball for 10 years, Balkovec seems fully aware that the next chapter of her journey is a huge step.

"I'm not the first woman to have a position in baseball, but I know this is a little different," Balkovec said when she was tabbed as the FCL team's hitting coach per MLB.com. "I'm a product of the women who have come before me in sports. If somebody thinks I'm a trailblazer, great, but hopefully, that's creating an opportunity to think it's possible for [others]."

Putting all of her past accomplishments together, it appears Balkvec mustered enough to make an impression.

This resulted in rave reviews, particularly from senior director of player development Kevin Reese and Minor League hitting coordinator Dillon Lawson

Reese and Lawson were the ones who recommended Balkovec to general manager Brian Cashman.