Santos Named Charlotte Knights Manager After Championship Season with Barons

The Charlotte Knights just picked Sergio Santos to lead the team in 2025. He'll become the 26th manager in team history.

Coming off a Southern League championship, Santos, 41, made waves with his work in Birmingham. His Barons locked up their division early, putting up a solid 41-28 record before ending at 72-66 overall. This up-and-coming baseball manager keeps winning wherever he goes. Over three seasons in charge, his teams have picked up 180 wins and 145 losses. In 2022, he guided the Yankees' rookie team to an FCL championship.

Now he'll lead a team with a rich history. Since partnering with the Chicago White Sox in 1999, the Knights have won two International League titles, their first in 1993, then again in '99.

Santos is no stranger to Charlotte. He played three games for the Knights back in 2009. That brief stop led to a six-year major league career where he struck out 227 batters, saved 39 games, and went 7-12 across 194 games. As the fourth former Knight to manage the team, Santos follows some tough acts. Joel Skinner set records with 285 wins from 2012-2015. His best year came in 2012 when the team won 83 games and made it to the Governors' Cup Finals.

The past ten years brought some incredible players through Charlotte. Erik Johnson leads all pitchers with 22 wins, while Josh Phegley, Yolmer Sánchez, Matt Davidson, and Jordan Danks made their own impact on the field.