Fired by the Philadelphia Phillies last month, Rick Kranitz has landed another job as a pitching coach with his former team’s National League East rival, the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves hired Kranitz on Thursday.
“I’m thrilled to add Rick to our coaching staff,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said in a statement. “Right from the start of the interview process, Rick stood out with his knowledge, credentials, and experience. He has had a lot of success developing young talent and he is going to have a big impact getting the most out of all of our pitchers.”
Kranitz was promoted by the Phillies from assistant pitching coach to the main position last December but was fired after just one season. He was replaced as Phillies pitching coach by Chris Young, who served as Kranitz’s assistant in 2018.
The Phillies finished 18th in the majors with a 4.14 ERA. The Braves finished seventh with a 3.75 ERA.
Kranitz replaces Chuck Hernandez, who was let go after two seasons as the Braves’ pitching coach. He was the only coach not returning on Snitker’s staff for the 2018 season.
Kranitz also was a pitching coach for the Marlins (2006-07) and Orioles (2008-10).