RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. -- Tuesday night marked a major milestone for Rancho Cucamonga Quakes manager Dave Stapleton, who secured the 500th win of his career as a developmental manager - all within the Angels organization. Yet even after reaching the achievement, Stapleton remained focused less on the number and more on the daily process of helping young players improve.
“Oh, it feels good,” Stapleton said following the game. “I didn’t have any idea. I don’t pay attention to that stuff. It’s about today and taking care of that, and tomorrow we move on to early work and just keep trying to keep the club moving in the right direction.”
The Quakes gave Stapleton plenty to celebrate offensively, jumping out early behind a noteworthy performance that included three consecutive home runs from the likes of Lucas Ramierez, Kendrey Maduro, and Jonny McGill. The veteran skipper praised the lineup’s aggressiveness and energy while also noting the club could soon become even deeper offensively.
“Anytime you can do three home runs back-to-back-to-back, that’s always a good thing,” Stapleton said. “We showed a lot of power tonight.”
While the win total became a postgame storyline, Stapleton spent much of his media session discussing the development of Talon Haley, particularly emphasizing maturity and work ethic over statistics.
“For me, that’s what I look at,” Stapleton said. “Everybody else can look at numbers and spin rates and all those things. But for me, it’s maturity, how they come into meetings, having a plan, and those kinds of things.”
Congratulations to our manager Dave Stapleton on his milestone! 500 managerial wins! pic.twitter.com/e1Xn53y5DH
— Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (@RCQuakes) May 20, 2026
The longtime Angels development coach also discussed the progress of Lucas Ramirez, who has continued adjusting throughout the season after battling illness earlier in the year.
“I think early he was hot, then he got sick and lost some weight,” Stapleton explained. “Now he’s just starting to feel comfortable again.”
Stapleton has been particularly encouraged by Ramirez’s willingness to learn and his commitment to daily improvement.
“His work ethic is off the charts,” Stapleton said. “He comes to work, does the things he’s supposed to do, spends time in the cages, does outfield drills - he’s always pushing himself.”
As for the commemorative game ball from win No. 500, Stapleton admitted it would eventually find a permanent place at home.
“It’ll go in a trophy case somewhere,” Stapleton said with a smile. “My wife will probably ask where it’s at.”