The Rockaway Wave
Originally Published June 19, 2026
There was a familiar face — and a familiar number — back in the dugout for the Cyclones last week. New York Mets Hall of Famer and former Brooklyn Cyclones manager Edgardo Alfonzo and his No. 13 returned to Brooklyn to join the Cyclones coaching staff for a series.
“It’s great to be back,” Alfonzo said. “Great memories. When you walk to this field, walk in the parking lot, see the roller coaster, see the field — it’s great to be back, at least for one week.”
With both Brooklyn’s hitting coach and bench coach away for the week, Alfonzo was called on by the organization to step in.
Alfonzo has done things like this before with the Mets, filling in at different affiliates when needed. He was with Brooklyn for a series last year too, but it was while they were in Aberdeen. In a way, he’s almost like a substitute teacher.
“I’m grateful to have him here,” Cyclones manager Eduardo Núñez said. “Just to have a more experienced voice to the guys is always good, and they always appreciate it.”
While there, he’s just like a regular coach. He’ll hit balls to them for fielding practice, help them mentally know what to do in certain situations, and overall just pass along his knowledge and experience in any way he can.
“That’s one of the things we addressed with them,” Núñez said. “Fonzie’s here, you got questions, he’s a guy who played in the big leagues for a long time, don’t be afraid to get to him and ask questions.”
He also coached third while with the Cyclones, back in uniform with the No. 13 on his back. He did it when he was with Triple-A last season, so he had a little bit of recent experience with it, but it’s still something that takes some time to adjust to.
“You gotta get used to it,” Alfonzo said. “Get to know the opponent team’s outfielders, and get to know your own team, who can run, who cannot. So, it’s something that you have to review, but it’s exciting to get more in the game.”
Alfonzo made an effort to not just be available as a baseball resource, but to talk to the players about their personal lives as well. Whatever questions they had, he would try to help.
“When you help a guy to try to make it to the big leagues, or try to be a better player, I think it’s a special thing,” Alfonzo said
The highest-profile player on Brooklyn’s roster this season is Mitch Voit, the organization’s first- round pick in 2025. Voit was drafted as a second baseman, the position where Alfonzo started 523 games during his big league career.
“Mitch is a guy who has tremendous talent,” Alfonzo said. “He’s learning how to play every day, because it’s different when you’re in college, but I think his production has been good. He knows how to play. He’s still learning how to battle some stuff. I think the kid’s gonna be good.”
Voit’s played over twice as many games at shortstop as he has at second base this season, but Alfonzo still sees him as a second baseman. He did say, though, that the way baseball has evolved, you never really know where a player will end up on the diamond.
In 2019, Alfonzo managed the Brooklyn Cyclones to a New York-Penn League championship. In 2025, the Cyclones won the South Atlantic League championship, the first since Alfonzo and Co.
“It’s good when in the minor leagues you get a championship, because that means you get the players to see what it takes to be a winning team,” Alfonzo said.
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