Salt Lake Bees Name Doug Davis Manager For 2026
Jan 22, 2026, 9:37 AM | Updated: Jan 23, 2026, 2:26 pm
The Salt Lake Bees hired Doug Davis to replace Keith Johnson as manager for the 2026 season. (Brian Preece)
(Brian Preece)
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – The Salt Lake Bees have their next leader after the franchise named former Round Rock Express skipper Doug Davis as manager.
Davis will be the ninth manager in franchise history, replacing Keith Johnson. Johnson was promoted to be the third base coach for the Angels in 2026.
The Bees, in conjuction the Los Angeles Angels, announced Davis’ hiring on Thursday, January 22.
“Having been around Salt Lake and the league for the past three seasons, I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to spend 2026 here,” said Davis. “I love the new ballpark and the energy around this franchise, and I’m thrilled to be part of the Los Angeles Angels organization again. Coming back home to the team that drafted me makes this opportunity even more special.”
We are proud to welcome Doug Davis as our ninth manager in franchise history
Read more: https://t.co/dMgF1Al8E8 pic.twitter.com/JOPjiasV6C
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) January 22, 2026
“We’re excited to welcome Doug to the Salt Lake Bees. Doug brings a proven track record of leadership, development, and winning at the Triple-A level,” said Bees General Manager Ty Wardle. “His experience, baseball knowledge, and ability to connect with players make him the right person to lead our clubhouse as we enter the 2026 season.”
About Doug Davis
The California Angels selected Davis in the ninth round of the 1984 MLB Draft as a catcher and infielder. He toiled in the minor leagues with the Angels, Texas Rangers, and Kansas City Royals organizations for 11 seasons.
The Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, native played in 7 games at the MLB level during his career.
Davis comes to Utah with a career record of 904-811 in 13 seasons of MiLB experience.
Before spending three seasons at Round Rock, Davis managed the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees) from 2020-2022.
Davis won a World Series ring as a bench coach with the 2003 Florida Marlins.
Bees to open 2026 season in Las Vegas
The 2026 campaign is right around the corner, with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training sites in Florida and Arizona in a few short weeks.
🚨 NEW FACILITY TOUR: Where baseball meets the city.
Go inside the immaculate @BallparkatAFS – the $140M home of @MiLB’s @SaltLakeBees. It’s a stadium naturally integrated into a city. 🌆🏟️⚾️
📽️ Full “Royal Key” facility tour: https://t.co/sDWupClzLw pic.twitter.com/l91zFwBA73
— Sports Dissected (@SportsDissected) January 15, 2026
Davis’ team will open the season with a three-game set in Sin City, Nevada, against the Las Vegas Aviators (Athletics) on Friday, March 27.
Minor league baseball returns to Daybreak when the Bees welcome the Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco Giants) into The Ballpark at AFS on Tuesday, March 31. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m. MT.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
