Nationals announce 2019 minor league staff

The Washington Nationals announced their Minor League managers, coaches and coordinators for the 2019 season on Monday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

The coaching staffs of the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, Double-A Harrisburg Senators and Single-A Potomac Nationals will remain intact for the 2019 season.

Mack Jenkins joins the organization as the pitching coach of Single-A Hagerstown after spending 32 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, most recently as their Major League pitching coach from 2016-18. In addition to his stint as pitching coach, Jenkins held roles as assistant pitching coach and bullpen coach during his seven Major League seasons with the Reds. Prior to joining the Major League staff, he spent the previous six seasons (2006-2011) as the club's Minor League pitching coordinator. Jenkins joined the Reds in 1989 as a Minor League pitching coach and spent 16 seasons in that position at Rookie-level Billings (1990-91), Single-A Cedar Rapids (1992), Single-A Charleston (1993-95), Double-A Chattanooga (1996-2001) and Triple-A Louisville (2002-05).

The short-season Single-A Auburn Doubledays will be led by a new manager in 2019, as the Nationals welcome Ralph "Rocket" Wheeler to the organization after 16 years as a manager in the Atlanta Braves chain. He most recently spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons with Single-A Rome of the South Atlantic League. In 16 seasons with the Braves, Wheeler put together an 867-967 (.473) record as a manager and all told, he enters 2019 with a 1,437-1,575 (.477) record in 26 seasons as a manager.

Washington also welcomes Ryan Grose as short-season Single-A Auburn's strength and conditioning coach. Additional strength and conditioning coach moves include Gabe Torres moving to the Gulf Coast League Nationals, Shane Hill moving to Single-A Potomac and Will Lindholm moving to Single-A Hagerstown.

Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies (Pacific Coast League): Randy Knorr, manager; Brad Holman, pitching coach; Brian Daubauch, hitting coach; Eric Montague, athletic trainer; Mike Warren, strength & conditioning coach

Double-A Harrisburg Senators (Eastern League): Matthew LeCroy, manager; Michael Tejera, pitching coach; Brian Rupp, hitting coach; TD Swinford, athletic trainer; RJ Guyur, strength and conditioning coach

Single-A Potomac Nationals (Carolina League): Tripp Keister, manager; Sam Narron, pitching coach; Luis Ordaz, hitting coach; Don Neidig, athletic trainer; Shane Hill, strength & conditioning coach

Single-A Hagerstown Suns (South Atlantic League): Patrick Anderson, manager; Mack Jenkins, pitching coach; Amaury Garcia, hitting coach; Darren Yoos, athletic trainer; Will Lindholm, strength and conditioning coach

Short-season Single-A Auburn Doubledays (New York-Penn League): Ralph "Rocket" Wheeler, manager; Franklin Bravo, pitching coach; Mark Harris, hitting coach; Kirby Craft, athletic trainer; Ryan Grose, strength & conditioning coach

Rookie-level GCL Nationals (Gulf Coast League): Mario Lisson, manager; Larry Pardo, pitching coach; Jorge Mejia, hitting coach; Jacob Meyer, athletic trainer; Gabe Torres, strength & conditioning coach

Rookie level DSL Nationals (Dominican Summer League): Sandy Martinez, field coordinator/manager; Pablo Frias, pitching coach; Freddy Guzman, hitting coach; Javier Guzman, coach; Emiliano Alcantara, coach; Manny Moore, Latin American training coordinator; Miguel Cabrera, athletic trainer; Santo Del Rosario, strength & conditioning coach; Michael Moskat, assistant pitching coach; Anthony Rosario, tryout assistant

Coordinators: Spin Williams, senior advisor, player development; Tommy Shields and Jeff Garber, co-field coordinators; Troy Gingrich, hitting coordinator; Paul Menhart, pitching coordinator; Gary Thurman, outfield/baserunning coordinator; Michael Barrett, catching coordinator; Billy Gardner Jr., information/roving coordinator; Mark Grater, rehabilitation pitching coordinator; Jon Kotredes, medical rehab coordinator; Jeff Allred, assistant medical coordinator; Tony Rogowski, strength & conditioning cooordinator; Calvin Minasian, minor league equipment coordinator