Following a months-long wait, the Giants finally announced new manager Tony Vitello’s coaching staff on Friday morning with spring training set to begin next week.
The names on Vitello’s staff have long been known. In December, Vitello’s staff joined him in Orlando during MLB’s annual Winter Meetings, providing the group with an opportunity to have valuable face time. Still, Vitello explored multiple options and configurations before finalizing the staff.
“Covering up any blind spots so that whatever area it might be — or level of expertise the players are looking for in a certain area — it’s available,” Vitello said in December. “I think we’ve been relatively successful — successful in my opinion — at doing that. And then also just creating a group that’s going to have an energy to them that I think we all kind of envision for the organization.
“I think everyone’s kind of got their own brand name and it’s still the San Francisco Giants, but this team is this year’s team, and this coaching staff is this year’s coaching staff. So, just trying to fulfill that vision.”
Jayce Tingler, who spent two seasons managing the San Diego Padres in 2020 and ’21, will serve as Vitello’s bench coach. Tingler was teammates with Vitello at the University of Missouri and spent the last four seasons as the Minnesota Twins’ bench coach under Rocco Baldelli.
Tingler isn’t the only member of the coaching staff with managerial experience.
Ron Washington, who spent 10 seasons managing the Texas Rangers (2007-14) and Los Angeles Angels (2024-25), will be the team’s major-league infield coach. One of Washington’s primary tasks will be helping new addition Luis Arraez, who has been one of baseball’s worst defenders since entering the league.
“His ability to coach infielders, you could strip everything away other than that, and what you’ve got there is great value,” Vitello said. “He’ll be one of the guys working with the infielders. Looking to make any improvements possible with that group is always huge, whether it’s the guys who are your everyday players or the guys who are fighting for a job.”
Hunter Mense will replace Pat Burrell as the Giants’ new hitting coach after spending the last four seasons on the Toronto Blue Jays’ coaching staff. Mense, who played under Vitello at Missouri, is tasked with vitalizing an offense that ranked 17th in runs and 22nd in OPS last season.
On the pitching side, Justin Meccage will take over as pitching coach after J.P. Martinez became the Atlanta Braves’ new bullpen coach. Meccage spent last season as the pitching coach of the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate, working with pitchers who helped Milwaukee post the best ERA in the National League.
Longtime reliever Jesse Chavez, who spent 18 seasons in the majors from 2008-25, will replace Garvin Alston as the team’s new bullpen coach. Frank Anderson, Vitello’s pitching coach at Tennessee and the father of former major-leaguer Brett Anderson, becomes the director of major-league pitching. Christian Wonders comes over from the Tampa Bay Rays as an assistant pitching coach.
Shane Robinson and Hector Borg will be the team’s first-base coach and third-base coach, respectively. Oscar Bernard (assistant hitting coach), Taira Uematsu (quality control coach), Alex Burg (field coordinator) and Eliezer Zambrano (bullpen catcher) represent the holdovers from last year’s coaching staff.
Giants to send eight major-league players to World Baseball Classic
The Giants will send eight players from their major-league roster to the upcoming World Baseball Classic in March: Logan Webb (USA), Tristan Beck (Great Britain), Heliot Ramos (Puerto Rico), Jung Hoo Lee (South Korea), Harrison Bader (Israel), José Buttó (Venezuela), Luis Arraez (Venezuela) and Reiver Sanmarín (Colombia).
Additionally, minor-league infielder Dayson Croes, who is from Aruba, will play for the Netherlands.
On the coaching end, special advisor Dusty Baker will manage Nicaragua while Ron Wotus and Dave Righetti will serve as the bench coach and pitching coach, respectively, for Italy. Assistant hitting coordinator Jacob Cruz will coach for Mexico.
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