By Roger Rael | The Raton Range
October 23, 2026 | 11:06 a.m. MDT
RATON, N.M. — Before the bright lights, national television coverage and roar of the crowd at the World Series, Mike Sandoval was a student at Raton High School with a future that would take him far beyond the small Northern New Mexico community he called home.
Now, more than four decades after graduating in 1983, Sandoval is preparing for another appearance on baseball’s biggest stage as the Tampa Bay Rays’ first assistant athletic trainer.
For Sandoval, the journey represents decades of behind-the-scenes work, a career built on preparation and teamwork, and the chance to represent his hometown at the highest level of professional baseball.
“It’s my second World Series,” Sandoval said in an interview with The Raton Range. “It’s tough to get there.” Many players as well as staff spend an entire career in baseball and never get that opportunity, so we feel very fortunate.
The Rays are preparing to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2026 World Series, which begins Friday, Oct. 23. For Sandoval, it marks his second trip to the Fall Classic after being part of Tampa Bay’s 2020 World Series team against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sandoval has spent decades working in professional baseball, helping players prepare physically for the demands of a long season and the pressure of postseason competition.
His job is not limited to what fans see on television.
On game days, Sandoval and the athletic training staff typically leave their hotel about five hours before the first pitch. Once at the ballpark, they begin preparing players through treatments, stretching, and other services designed to get them ready for competition.
Players take batting practice and complete their pregame routines before returning for additional preparation. When the game begins, members of the training staff rotate between watching the action and remaining available in the dugout in case a player needs assistance.
The work continues after the final out, when the staff provides additional treatment and checks on players before they head out to prepare for the next game.
“It’s a long day,” Sandoval said.
The World Series brings more media attention, more fans and a different atmosphere than a regular-season game. But Sandoval said the pressure on the players is not necessarily different.
“I don’t think it’s any different than any other game, especially for the players,” he said. “I know it’s a bigger stage, but it’s where they all want to be. They all want to get to the World Series.”
Even with his responsibilities, Sandoval recognizes the significance of the opportunity.
He said reaching the World Series is something many people in baseball never experience, making it important to appreciate the moment while continuing to do the job.
Sandoval’s humility was evident when asked whether he had taken time during the postseason to reflect on how far his career had taken him.
He said other people, including his wife, Dodie Sandoval of Ruidoso, and son Michael of Washington State, have reminded him of the accomplishment more often than he has reflected on it himself. We have taken this journey together and could not have done it without their sacrifices and encouragement.Â
“I’m very, very fortunate,” Sandoval said.
Lessons that began in Raton
Sandoval credits the lessons he learned during his school years with helping prepare him for a career in professional sports.
After graduating from Raton High School in 1983, he attended New Mexico State University, where he earned a degree in physical education and sports medicine in 1988. He later joined the professional baseball ranks, beginning a career that included 25 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization before moving to Tampa Bay’s major league training staff.
Sandoval said organization, preparation, focus, and teamwork have remained important throughout his career.
“Being prepared, being focused, being part of a team,” he said. “I think that helps not only in sports, but life in itself.”
Those lessons extend beyond baseball, he said, and apply to students and young people deciding what they want to do with their lives.
For young athletes in Raton and across Northern New Mexico, Sandoval offered a message about pursuing their goals and recognizing that professional sports offers opportunities beyond playing on the field.
“Another big thing is focus on what you want to do,” he said. “There’s other opportunities out there.”
Getting there may require leaving home, something Sandoval acknowledged was difficult at first. Over time, he adjusted to the demands of his career and the distance from family.
He still makes time to return to New Mexico during the offseason to visit relatives. He makes his offseason home in Las Cruces with his wife Dodie and son Michael, who now resides in Washington State.Â
A family connection that reaches home
Although the World Series brings Sandoval to a national stage, his connection to Raton remains personal.
His family follows the games closely, particularly his mother, Onofre, as well as two brothers, Roger and Terry, and his sister, Darlene, who watches every game and calls him afterward to discuss what happened. Shout-out to Mom for being Mike’s biggest fan.
For Sandoval, those conversations are a reminder that his work matters to the people who have followed his journey from the beginning.
The hometown connection also remains a source of pride for a community where seeing someone succeed on a national stage can mean something to people far beyond the playing field.
Sandoval said he hopes this World Series ends differently from his previous appearance in 2020.
“Hopefully get a World Series ring out of it,” he said. “It’s kind of tough watching the other side celebrate without winning it.”
The Tampa Bay staff member who has spent years helping players prepare for the biggest games in baseball now has another opportunity to experience that celebration from the winning side.
And for anyone wondering whether years away from New Mexico have changed his tastes, one final question settled the matter.
Red or green chile?
“I’m always green,” Sandoval said. My wife, on the other hand, is Christmas lol.
For a Raton High School graduate who has spent decades building a career in professional baseball, the answer was simple.
The road from Raton to the World Series has been long, but Sandoval’s advice to the next generation remains straightforward: stay focused, be prepared, work as part of a team, and pursue the opportunities that can take you where you want to go.
As the Rays prepare for the opening game, Sandoval will be doing what he has done throughout his career: making sure the players are ready, staying prepared for whatever happens, and appreciating the rare opportunity to be part of baseball’s biggest event.
For his hometown, his journey is a reminder that a career can begin in a small community and reach the biggest stage in professional sports. Let’s be honest, Mike is representing Raton and deserves a proclamation from the City of Raton for a job well done.
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