NEW YORK -- Wally Backman and Frank Viola will return as Triple-A Las Vegas manager and pitching coach, respectively, the Mets and 51s jointly announced Tuesday.
Backman, 56, will enter his fifth season managing the Mets' top affiliates in Buffalo, N.Y., and Las Vegas. He owns a 239-193 overall record since the Mets moved their Triple-A club to Vegas, with two playoff appearances in three years. Under his watch, pitchers Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz have all advanced to the big leagues.