Mariners hire Kyle Torgerson as new Head Athletic Trainer, announce full High Performance Staff

The Mariners announced their full High Performance Staff today for the 2020 season, including the hiring of new Head Athletic Trainer, Kyle Torgerson. The 33 year old Torgerson grew up in the area, graduating Edmonds-Woodway High School where he was first-team All-WesCo South 4A as a catcher. After two years of studies and ballplaying at Bellevue Community College, he completed his bachelor’s degree in physiology at the University of Washington, following it with a master’s degree in athletic training at Weber State University. Torgerson went straight into baseball upon his final graduation, working in the the Royals’ Rookie-level Idaho Falls affiliate before beginning seven years of ascension through the ranks in the Diamondbacks organization. He spent 2019 as the Assistant Athletic Trainer for Arizona’s MLB club.

With Torgerson in the fold, 2019 Head Athletic Trainer Rob Nodine moves to the position of Senior Athletic Trainer, marking the second year of the organization shifting their head trainer to a still-involved - and possibly equally or more important - but off-field role. Longtime Head Trainer Rick Griffin also remains involved, as Trainer Emeritus. If it’s good enough for popes and professors, it’s good enough for the Mariners.

The rest of the department is predominantly unchanged or internally promoted. Of the 35 positions, just eight are new hires, and all but two - Torgerson and new Performance Specialist Assistant Coordinator Jeff Mathers - are minor league affiliate Trainers and/or Performance Specialists. The Modesto Nuts will have two new faces in Aric Quinney at Athletic Trainer and James Buckley at Performance Specialist. West Virginia Power’s staff is also brand new, with Dan LaBerry at Athletic Trainer and Joe Murray at Performance Specialist. Brennan Mickelson is new on the Everett AquaSox staff as a Performance Specialist, as is Ryan Mullins in the same role for the Rookie-level Peoria Mariners.

The full list of positions, from the Mariners Blog, can be seen here.