Hernandez named Braves' Minors pitching coordinator

ATLANTA -- After spending portions of the past two decades serving as a pitching coach for four Major League clubs, Chuck Hernandez now finds himself overseeing the impressive crop of pitching prospects the Braves have assembled.

The Braves have named Hernandez their Minor League pitching coordinator. The 55-year-old Tampa resident fills the role previously held by Rich Dubee, who recently became the Tigers' new pitching coach.

Hernandez spent each of the past three seasons serving as the pitching coach for a Marlins club that featured talented young pitchers like Jose Fernandez and Henderson Alvarez. He has also served as pitching coach with the Angels (1992-96), Rays (2004-05) and Tigers (2006-08).

During his first season in Detroit, Hernandez guided Justin Verlander toward an American League Rookie of the Year Award and also helped the Tigers reach the World Series.

Hernandez will now monitor the developments of recently acquired top prospect Sean Newcomb, Touki Toussaint, Kolby Allard and the other talented young arms currently in Atlanta's farm system. Eleven of the Braves' top 14 prospects are pitchers, per MLB.com.