In May, Your Trenton Thunder announced Shawn Chacon as their new Manager of the club ahead of the 2025 season. Serving as the team’s Pitching Coach for the prior three seasons, Chacon became the third Manager named by the Thunder since the MLB Draft League began in 2021. During his tenure as the team’s Pitching Coach, Chacon helped produce 17 pitchers who earned MLB Draft selections, including a team high seven pitchers selected in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Shawn earned his first victory as Manager of the Thunder on June 7th against the Frederick Keys in dominant fashion by a final of 17-3. The first-year skipper got a valiant effort from his starting pitcher Jude Abbadessa, who went five solid innings, striking out four in the win. With the offense coming in bunches, it was left-fielder Juju Stevens leading the charge with a 3-4 performance at the plate that included two doubles and four runs batted in. Chacon also secured his first series victory as Manager against Frederick, taking two of three from the Keys at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
“As soon as I stepped out from the dugout some of the season ticket holders and fans from years past, even ushers were immediately greeting me and congratulating me on my first win” said Thunder Manager Shawn Chacon. “The fanbase is always on point with their knowledge of the game and what is going on with the Thunder so getting that first win for them was a well-received bonus.”
While the title may have changed, the job at hand remains the same for Chacon to develop young talent and teach college ballplayers how to become professionals. Spending 8 years pitching at the Major League level pitching for the Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros, Shawn knows exactly what it takes to play this sport at the highest level.
“I’m blessed with a great staff, and honestly with the players that we got I’m even more blessed. The coaches and I talk all the time about how mature and how good these kids are,” Chacon said. I couldn’t ask for a better group, including the coaches in my first year Managing.”
In 2003 Chacon was named to the National League All-Star Team with the Rockies. During his time with the Yankees, Shawn toed the rubber at Trenton Thunder Ballpark in a rehab appearance in 2006, the same mound he gets to watch his pitching staff work from this season. In his first month as Manager, Shawn has seen three of his pitchers obtain ERAs of sub two and has continued to develop the arm talent on the Thunder alongside Pitching Coach Bobby Jones.
“I’ve enjoyed baseball even more now as Manager” Shawn said. “I’m trying to pay attention to every aspect of the game. The most fun part for me is being able to take it all in from the dugout and continuing to learn new stuff that maybe I didn’t pay attention to as much while I was a player.”
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About the Trenton Thunder
The Trenton Thunder will welcome their 11 Millionth fan during the 2025 season with 30 million people living within a 20 mile radius of the ballpark. Your Thunder have won the three major awards that Minor League Baseball teams can win; the Johnson Trophy for the “Nation’s Best Franchise”, the Larry MacPhail Trophy for Outstanding Club Promotion and the Bob Frietas Award for Long-Term Success (given by Baseball America). The team has given back over $9.8 million worth of goods, services, and monetary donations through the Grand Slam We Care Foundation.
