Mike Maddux named Nationals pitching coach

By Byron Kerr

Nationals

November 04, 2015, 11:58am

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The Nationals have agreed to terms with Mike Maddux to be their pitching coach and he will reportedly be introduced alongside new manager Dusty Baker on Thursday morning at Nationals Park, according to a team release. The club announced thatterms of the deal were agreed upon on Tuesday night.

Maddux is considered to be one of the top pitching coaches in the major leagues, turning around a Texas Rangers staff that had had several seasons of plus-5.00 team ERAs prior to his arrival.

During his tenure in Texas, the Rangers had an ERA of less than 4.00 in four consecutive seasons from 2010 to 2013. Prior to his arrival, the Rangers had not had a team ERA below 4.00 since 1990. Texas pitchers recorded 17 shutouts in 2014. In his first season as pitching coach in 2009, the team ERA dropped close to one full run (0.99).

A USA Today report said Maddux was actually hired last week to be a part of Bud Black's staff before Baker was announced as the Nats' new skipper on Tuesday morning.

Maddux was a pitcher in the majors for 15 seasons and is the older brother of four-time Cy Young award winner Greg Maddux.

Maddux has worked with several pitchers who have become All-Stars, including C.J. Wilson and Yu Darvish. Now he will get the opportunity to work with the likes of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Joe Ross, Gio Gonzalez and Lucas Giolito.

The news was first reported by MLB.com.