Dayton Dragons Manager Earns Major Honor After Impressive Season

The Cincinnati Reds High-A Minor League Team, the Dayton Dragons, has had a lot of success in 2026. One reason for that success is their manager.

Who is the Dayton Dragons Manager?

Julio Cesar Morillo is a former Minor League player who was originally signed by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2009 International Free Agency Signing period out of Venezuela. Morillo was a catcher and the highest level he reached as a player was Triple-A in 2015. Morillo hit .212 with 22 doubles and 48 RBIs and a .985 fielding percentage in 158 games in his career.

After concluding his playing career in 2015, Morillo joined the Reds' front office as a baseball operations assistant. Morillo also served as a Spanish-language translator for Reds big-league players, frequently seen in television interviews in that role. He remained in that position for four years.

After Morillo's time working in operations, he turned to coaching. He worked his way up to Manager of the Arizona Complex League Reds in 2022. In Arizona, Morillo compiled a 32-19 record (.627 winning percentage). This impressed the Reds' executives as they promoted him to Manager of the A-Level Daytona Tortugas. There, he managed for two seasons, and in 2025, Morillo helped the Tortugas make the Florida State League Finals. The Tortugas eventually lost, but Morillo's rise in management did not.

This year, Morillo was named the 13th-ever Manager of the Dayton Dragons. Still early in his coaching career, Morillo has done great work so far in the Reds Organization. In just his fourth year in management, Morillo has already won 200 baseball games. Morillo's has been so good this year that he has recently been recognized with a coaching award.

Baseball America names the Best Manager of the Midwest League

Red — Daytona Tortugas manager Julio Morillo smiles as he looks around Jackie Robinson Ballpark during an interview, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It was announced on Wednesday, September 2nd, that Julio Morillo was named Best Manager of the Midwest League by Baseball America. BA (Baseball America) is a highly respected baseball outlet, and Morillo being given this award is quite impressive. Morillo is the man who helped the Dayton Dragons clinch their first playoff appearance since 2007. Morillo is only 33 years old and has plenty of time left to manage in baseball. He might even have a chance to manage in the big leagues soon.

The Dragons are currently 64-61 and feature a couple of 2026 Draft Picks like Justin Lebron and Eric Becker. Their first playoff game will be on Tuesday, September 8th, on the road.

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