Former MLB player John Nogowski finds new life as coach

John Nogowski's love for baseball began at an early age, and more than two decades later, that passion remains as strong as ever.

The former North Florida Christian, Florida State and Major League Baseball player has wasted little time transitioning from professional player to professional coach.

"I'm glad to see his success and that guys like him are giving back and coaching the next group of big leaguers," childhood friend and former NFC teammate Will West said. "We need more people like him. He is married to the game."

Last January, Nogowski, 32, was named bench coach and assistant hitting coach for the Syracuse Mets, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, only months after completing his final winter ball season and bringing a 12-year professional playing career to a close.

When Syracuse manager Dick Scott was diagnosed with kidney cancer in late July, Nogowski was elevated to interim manager. Scott has since undergone successful surgery and remains on a leave of absence, although he is expected to return before the end of the 2026 season.

Nogowski's name has long been woven into Tallahassee baseball lore.

He was part of a local travel team that included West and captured a tournament championship at Cooperstown Dreams Park in Cooperstown, New York. As a teenager, he also competed in the renowned East Cobb baseball program. At North Florida Christian, Nogowski helped lead the Eagles to two state championship appearances before signing with Florida State, where he played from 2012-14.

During his Seminoles career, Nogowski hit .282 and earned first-team All-ACC honors as a junior before he embarked on a lengthy professional career. He also later returned to FSU and earned his bachelor's degree in August 2023.

"John and I grew up together playing with and against each other," said West, who later played at Tallahassee State College and spent three seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. "We were similar in a lot of ways, both left-handed hitters. But he was always a little bit better and performed differently than the rest of the guys. From an early age, you knew he was different."

Selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 34th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, Nogowski steadily climbed through the minor league ranks before making his major league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 16, 2020. He went on to appear in 53 MLB games with the Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates across the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Nogowski continued his journey as a player in Mexico and affiliated and non-affiliated organizations before retiring last year.

West and Nogowski have remained connected through baseball.

West coaches at the youth level in Tallahassee, and currently helps coach the Tallahassee-Leon Babe Ruth 13U All-Star team that is competing in the Babe Ruth World Series in Jamestown, New York. The two recently spoke, and West hopes Nogowski, a TLBR alumnus, can meet with the team when Syracuse returns home after it finishes a road series in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Aug. 15.

Nogowski's rise from Tallahassee baseball standout to Triple-A coaching comes as little surprise to West.

"Baseball is in John's blood," West said. "He is the sharpest baseball mind I have ever been around, and that's something I believe the guy was born with."

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Former MLB player John Nogowski finds new life as coach