Brian Meyer announced as new manager of Cedar Rapids Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS - His path to becoming manager of the Cedar Rapids Kernels is way different than that of his predecessors. Way different.

Brian Meyer wasn’t a player in the Minnesota Twins organization, wasn’t a professional baseball player at all.

The 42-year-old Ohio native played Division III college baseball at Otterbein College in his home state, then began his coaching career there. He also spent time at D-I Wright State, Tulane (as director of baseball operations) and Butler.

He’d just been made a full-time assistant at Butler when he was tipped off about an open position in the Minnesota Twins organization. He applied, interviewed and was hired.

The Twins announced Tuesday that he will skipper the 2025 Kernels, after spending the previous four seasons as manager at low-A Fort Myers. He replaces Brian Dinkelman, who was manager here for five seasons and who is moving up to Double-A Wichita.

Dinkelman was a player in the Twins organization, as were previous Kernels managers Tommy Watkins, Toby Gardenhire and Jake Mauer.

“I love the pro game, love the professional baseball lifestyle more than the college lifestyle,” said Meyer, from his home in Cape Coral, Fla. “I’m very fortunate that my wife grew up in professional baseball and knows what it takes as well. She was completely supportive of it.”

Ashley Meyer’s father was a longtime equipment manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates. She will join Brian in Cedar Rapids with their 6-year-old son Walker when the school year concludes and will be at virtually every game, home and away, Brian said.

“I’m really excited to get up to Cedar Rapids, to see a new and different level of professional baseball,” Brian Meyer said. “Really excited - my wife, my son and I - to be part of the Cedar Rapids community and to get to know all the people I’ve heard so much about through Dink and through other coaches and players who have been there for awhile. We’re really excited for the opportunity.”

Meyer was named the 2022 Florida State League Manager of the Year. His staff with the Kernels will consist of pitching coaches Argenis Angulo and Hunter Townsend, hitting coach C.J. Baker and hitting and development coach Julian Gonzalez.

Angulo and Baker were with the Kernels last season, as was 2025 strength and conditioning coach Blake Kretovics. The all-female training staff will be Taylor Carpenter (lead trainer) and Morgan Leichtenberger.

“I’m looking forward to continue watching some of the guys we had last year with the Mussels (Fort Myers) develop at this level. It’s a new challenge for them, it’ll be a new challenge for me to have the ability to grow together,” Meyer said.

Upcoming spring training will in large part determine who will be the players for the 2025 Kernels. Top prospects who could be in Cedar Rapids include infielder Kaelen Culpepper (last year’s top draft pick of the Twins), outfielder Brandon Winokur and pitchers Charlee Soto, Cesar Lares and Jose Olivares.

“When you look at our roster at the end of the year, there were a bunch of guys who really grew and developed over the course of the season,” Meyer said.

The Kernels’ season opener is April 8 against Beloit.

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