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.