REPORTS: Tony Vitello Giants Rumors HEATING UP | Luis Matos’ FUTURE | Joe Whitman Profile

REPORTS: Tony Vitello Giants Rumors HEATING UP | Luis Matos’ FUTURE | Joe Whitman Profile

A manager candidate deep dive on Tony Vitello, what to do with Luis Matoss, and a player profile on left-handed pitcher Joe Whitman. That’s all coming up on Locked on Giants. You are Locked on Giants, your daily San Francisco Giants podcast, part of the Locked On Network, your team every day. Hello and welcome to Locked On Giants, part of the Locked On podcast network where it’s your team every single day. My name is Al Sal. On the show, we provide daily episodes Monday through Friday talking about the San Francisco Giants in a way that combines passion, analytics with the eye test and a little bit of fun. I’m from the Bay Area, but I live in Sacramento now and I host a show at Sacktown Sports 11:40, the Allen Style Show, 10:00 a.m. 2 p.m. every single day, as well as MCing Sacramento Rivercats games. All in all, I’m lucky enough to cover a team I’ve been a fan of all my life. Today, we have for you on a Friday, a deep dive on Tony Vitella, one of the most interesting names in this Giants managerial search, what to do with Luis Matoss, and a player profile on young left-handed pitching stud Joe Whitman. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets you use across the app. download the app today. So, real quick before we get into uh the Tony Vitello candidate deep dive, I wanted to say if you check out my social media at the_styles file styles with an eye, I have the Smurf fans up in a tiffy. They are very upset with me. I found a clip yesterday watching the Phillies blow it to the Dodgers where there’s just a completely open space of empty seats right down there in LA. I posted it on social media and they are trying to cook me, but it is hilarious. The thing has gone very very viral and I love it and I absolutely love it. They’re talking about the traffic at 300 p.m. and how you can’t get over there. They’re trying to defend themsel and people are just laughing at these Dodger fans. So, go check that out on a Friday or over the weekend to make yourself feel better because yeah, the number one response is, “Well, what time did the Giants play?” You know what? We’ll handle that next season. And it all starts with a manager pick and the correct manager pick, which could be Tony Vitello. So, I’m going to be honest with you. When this Tony Vitello thing came up, people were reaching out to me. I initially thought it was a Giants content creator that just really liked college baseball like me. I did not know at the time about the athletics involvement and how I believe it was Andrew Baggerly brought up Tony Vitello’s name. I I didn’t think this was anywhere near possible. And it’s not just the Giants. I’m also hearing his name connected to the Braves as well. This is just something you don’t see. You don’t see people uh jump from the minor leagues, let alone from college baseball to major league baseball. But it’s a new day. So, let’s talk about why it could be a new day for Tony Vitello, why he would leave his ridiculously impressive setup uh in Tennessee and what that could mean for the San Francisco Giants. The resume and coaching background. Tony Vitello is a prominent name in college baseball. Best known for his success as the head coach at the University of Tennessee. His resume carries a mix of highlevel performance, recruiting, and culture building traits that make him an intriguing non-traditional but increasingly considered managerial candidate. Under Vitello, Tennessee has been a national power, deep postseason run, strong recruiting classes, and consistency in a tough SEC environment. He’s credited with turning around the Volunteers program, instilling energy, accountability, and competitiveness. He’s built relationships, managed young players, handled pressured games, and cultivated a fiery disciplined style. Some people would say that the discipline might not be as disciplined as they like to see a lot of bat flips and a lot of showboating. I love it, which makes it also, and I’ll get into it more, but that also makes this pick for Buster. even the conversation uh very very fascinating to me because just based on his style if you watch Tennessee I tell I tell everybody I’m one of the the the the last people left that watch a lot of college baseball they showboat a lot it just doesn’t strike me as the Buster Posey style who played with Madison Bumgardner so that was surprising to me reports suggest that Vitello has had inquiries and interest from MLB circles a Yahoo sports article states he’s been reported as a potential candidate for both the Braves and the Giants manager spots another Yahoo piece quotes a volunteers insider. I think they have interest in Vitello. Not definitive, but the rumors are real. Yet, he’s also been described as not the front runner for the Giants job per one of the reports. We know who that is. That is Nick Hunley. So, Vitello is on the radar. He’s not a dark horse, but he’s also not the favorite. Why he could be a fit for San Francisco? Let’s talk about the strengths and alignment. Why would someone argue Vitello is a compelling candidate for the Giants? Culture and energy. His coaching style is energetic, passionate, and motivational. San Francisco, after a middling season, needs someone who can rebuild pride, hold players accountable, and inject life into the clubhouse. Vital’s temperament might resonate in that capacity. Youth and development experience. This is probably at the top of my list. Vella has worked with young players, recruited and uh developed the culture and the the young transition that has been happening in college baseball in the the volunteers program. And it’s not as simple as it used to be with NIL and transfer portals. That’s it’s hard to get kids to buy in, right? They can get paid somewhere else and leave. For a club trying to build a sustainable core, that experience is valuable. He understands the pipeline, adjusting college players to higher levels and building systems, which parallels what minor league and major league management demands. Emphasis on fundamentals and discipline. The college game requires structural discipline, defense, situational execution, limiting mistakes. Those qualities matter in the major leagues, particularly for a team like the Giants that wants to lean in again to pitching and defense. Fitella’s experience might make him better positioned than many pure MLB coaches who focus heavily on tactics but lack development growth. Uh fresh voice and identity reset. Hiring someone from outside the traditional MLB coaching circles can signal a reset. If Posie wants to pull the Giants away from prior cycles and inject a new identity, Bello could represent a bold swing. Not just hiring another bench coach or ex- player, but a leader with a different background. again recruiting and analytics because college uh regularly recruit evaluate talent and work with analytics. Vital may have developed skills in identifying undervalued talent and the data integration that is a part of that as well that may help in synergy with a front office seeking alignment with development and analytics. Obviously there are risks and I think the risks are pretty obvious. Uh, lack of MLB managerial experience. This is probably the biggest hurdle. Vitella has never managed a professional club. Never called batting orders or bullpen moves at the big league level. The pressure to manage the clubhouse media scrutiny and in-game tactical minutia differs greatly. Although I would say in the SEC, the high they are a very high-profile team in college baseball. They’re probably a top five high-profile team in college baseball. So, it is different. But all the other all the other uh people that we’ve talked about, all the other candidates, they don’t have mana manager experience either. The adjustment to professional roster dynamics, I think that’s a bigger one. Just the game. Not specifically a manager, but just the game, risk aversion and high stakes, philosophical alignment and pitching credibility and outsider perception and buyin. Because Vitello is outside, there is a steeper trust building pathway. players, coaches, and staff might take time to warm to him. That lag could be costly in a transition year. So, that’s really the breakdown for Tony Vitello. Like I said, I watch a ton of college baseball. I love Tennessee, right? I tell y’all from time to time how I’m Mr. Get Off My Lawn for certain things. I love the bat flips. I love showboating. I just think it’s a part of the game and I wish it was more accepted when I was playing. I love the Giants, but when Madison Bumgardner was getting mad at Yasu Pig and they were going back and forth, I did not agree with Madison Bumgardner. I’m not gonna lie to y’all. That’s just how I feel. Some people dislike it. Some people some people enjoy it. Again, Buster to me does not strike me. Maybe Buster’s more in the middle where I don’t, you know, it doesn’t bother me, anything like that. That’s why the Braves off the top of my head makes more sense. Ronald Duna Jr., I know he struggles to stay healthy, but when healthy, he loves to showboat. He’s doing all the news celebrations. That’s more so what you see when you watch Tennessee baseball. The other thing is this. We’ve talked about Drew Gilbert and some of the players that have come over from Tennessee. Tennessee is an absolute bam box. It’s an absolute crackerjack box. That place is known for the ball flying out. So, some of these numbers that we’ve seen, the offensive numbers, they’ve been ballooned a little bit. And that’s not to say that Tony Vitello and his hitting staff, they don’t know what they’re doing. But you’re go not only are you you’re not going from the from college to Yankee Stadium. You’re not going from college to the Boston Red Sox. You’re not going from college to the Rockies, right? You’re not going which that that might be an interesting thought as well. You’re not going from college to Cincinnati, these offensive friendly ballparks. know you you are completely doing a 180 on your career and I do think it’s probably too much of a risk but it it is something that would be really fun. I’ll tell you this much. If the Giants had more players ready to get to the show, more young players like the the Gavin Keelin and guys like that from Tennessee or even not from Tennessee that were just further along in their process. I would more so be on the on the side of hiring him. I think that Buster really has to get this right and that might just be too much of a stretch at this point in the game. On the other side, let’s talk about someone who is on the roster for now and what the Giants should do with him next season. Luis Moss, do not move. More locked on Giants coming up. The NFL season is here and FanDuel has an offer you don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get $300 in bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Pick a bet, put down five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. What I love about FanDuel, I love how FanDuel gives me so many ways to play. I’ve built parlays, tried player props, and even followed the live lines during games. It makes watching football even more exciting when you’ve got a little something ratted on the action. Whether you’re a casual fan or love diving into the sets, FanDuel makes the game day experience so much better. So, what are you waiting for? Visit fanuel.com to download the FanDuel app today and get started. I’ve been reaching for my new favorite pants almost every day, my Der jeans. These are the most comfortable pair of jeans I own. I almost forget I’m wearing jeans at all. I wear them to work, running errands, just chilling around the house, anything I want to do. They’re comfortable enough to do them in my Doer jeans. They’re antibacterial, meaning they stay fresh longer, so I can wear more and wash less. The jeans are made with Coolmax that regulates your body temperature and wicks moisture. Keeps you cool and comfortable as temperatures change. Great for any season. Derer combines classic jeanswware style with the kind of comfort and performance you get from athletic wear. It’s the best of both worlds. Designed to look great and stay comfortable all day, no matter what you’re doing. doer are pioneers of blending technical innovation with everyday clothing. They invented the original performance denim. There’s a reason why they call them the world’s most comfortable pants. But don’t take our word for it. Go try on a pair for yourself. Door just opened a store right here in Hayes Valley so you can feel the difference firsthand. Go check them out at 567 Haze Street. Mention our promo code locked on SF in store to get 15% off your first order. Or check them out online at shopdue.com/locktonsf for 15% off. That’s shopd.comlockonssf. What should the Giants do with Elliot Ramos? One of the more interesting players. He struggled early, got red hot late, he had opportunities. He was platooning with Mike Dremsky. That didn’t work out. And now he is out of options. First, a reality check. Mattos’s 2025 MLB numbers are underwhelming. He’s hitting around or he hit around 221 and OPS that was a shade under 700. He’s been optioned back and forth. Sent down to Triple A, then recalled multiple times. But it’s not all negative, though. He’s shown flashes. He had that three-run homer uh in June that helped the Giants win that game. And while his MLB slashline is a little rough, right, his strikeout rate is very, very low on a team that strikes out a lot. According to fan graphs, his 2025 projections show a K percentage in the low teens. Often historically, he’s been more contact oriented. That’s a valuable foundation, especially in a lineup that often struggles to make contact. One chronic weakness is his plate discipline. In 2024, MTOS was criticized for being overly aggressive, drawing almost no walks while chasing pitches and seeing his performance collapse in stretches. See, that’s the other thing. Everybody talks about the K rate, which is very important, but there’s also uh obviously there’s there’s the exit VO and you making contact when it’s not hard or strong contact. That’s also not good, right? No, you didn’t swing through, but you’re not making solid contact. There’s still part of his profile, a high contact but reactive hitter rather than a patient batter. Defensively, MTOS is I think serviceable is the best term for Luis Moss. But his defensive metrics haven’t been enough to outweigh his offensive inconsistency. Given the mix of promise and struggles, here are three paths the Giants can take with Moss, each with pros, cons, and strategic implications. They can double down and give him every chance. And that would be, I believe, in right field. But if the front office still believes MTOS’s upside is real, then commit to making him a regular in right field and give him save at bats. The logic is tools and contact ability plus age equals potential. And if he can refine plate discipline and better recognize advanced pitching, he might grow into a regular. Here are the pros. He’s controllable. He’s still very young with room to improve. He’s got that low strikeout rate, which is rare these days. if he can reduce the MC at bat problem that already plagues many hitters. Keeping him signals faith in player development, a message to other young players that the club isn’t quick to cut. So, he had this, you know, he had this platoon situation going on. They trade Mikey and I’m sure that uh that Luis Mtos thought, hey, it’s my time now and I’m going to get all these at bats. And then they get Drew Gilbert and then they bring up Grant McCrae and then they have En Carnosion and he’s stuck in another uh I guess carousel. But the thing is he wouldn’t be in that carousel if he performed how he performed once the carousel and the platooning with Drew Gilbert started. Here are the cons. If he continues to underperform, roster spots are very costly. His offensive ceiling isn’t assured. This could become wasted opportunity in terms of using shuttled at bats and the patience is limited in a competitive market. Continuing to invest in a borderline bat may draw criticism. If you’re going to open your wallet, go get Kyle Tucker, who hit a home run last night for the Cubs. Let’s stop messing around with this. He’s not going to take a leap. You know, some people might feel like this. He’s not going to take a leap. We know what he is. Just enough. Enough. Or you could platoon him and continue doing a version of what they did last season. Use MTOS in a more controlled role against left-handed pitchers as a defensive option off the bench or in a platoon role with the left-handed bat. This minimizes his exposure to tough righty matchups while letting him work on weaknesses. The pros to that reduces downside exposure while keeping his strengths in play. Gives Moss time to adjust gradually. allows the team to mix in higher upside and more consistent picks. Uh, like we’ve talked about before, the cons, if a player knows they won’t get full reps, sometimes the development sells mentally. And honestly, I think that’s what happened a little bit this past season. Sample sizes can be small. Cuz I was in Sacramento, right, doing my thing with the Rivercats. Luis Mtos, he’s down there. He’s wearing all of his Giant stuff, which all these guys do, just to kind of I think it’s a a mental thing to say or a psychological thing. Hey, I’m not going to be here long, right? All right, this is just a pit stop and I would do the same thing. But clearly he’s kind of been yo-yoed a bit and it’s tough to try to figure out where he where he lands. And if he doesn’t land where a lot of people think that he should, if the Giants see MTOS as a foundational piece slipping away, they could trade him now, especially to a team willing to bet on his upside and he still carries prospect pedigree that could attract a decent return rather than letting him fizzle in San Francisco. Uh for the pros, for that you convert uncertain potential into tangible assets, frees roster space for other outfielders and young bats, signals a sharper roster construction, backing your winning formula instead of hoping for a breakout. The cons to that, if Moss balls out and flourishes and pops elsewhere, you could regret letting him go, you lose upside at a relatively inexpensive cost because he is still young and the trade returns may be lower giving his inconsistent track record to date. So, if you’re going to sell low on MTOS, is there really a point to even do it? Which I mean, it depends on it it depends on how you feel about his his ceiling and where you see him fitting. You got a lot of outfielders coming up, and I know they’re not all going to hit, but we’ve talked about all the outfielders coming up for the Giants. Bo Davidson is due in 2027. Dakota Jordan is due in 2027. Rainor Arius, who we haven’t talked about yet, but we will over the over the course of the offseason. He’s due in 2028, right? That’s three guys right there. And if even one of them pops, there’s no room. And you still got Elliot Ramos. The problem is Luis Mtos can’t play center. I’m not trying to move Hu Lee, but there’s only so many spots. You get all the way down to a Trevor Cohen. He’s the 21st ranked prospect. He’s due in 2028, but he’s already 21. So there’s just not a lot of space to let Moss flourish. And that goes for all these guys. That goes for Encarnion. That goes for Drew Gilbert. That definitely goes for Grant McCrae. So you could do the carousel thing one more time or you could say we’re going to get a guy that’s just going to be our right fielder until these young dudes are ready and go from there. That’s that’s probably the the best way to go about it. Now, that doesn’t mean that you pay all this money for Kyle Tucker because if you believe in your young guys, you don’t have to overpay, but you need more production than what right field gave you this past season. One more segment with you when we return a player profile on left-handed stud pitcher Joe Whitman. Don’t move. More locked down Giants coming up. Guys, you’ve probably heard of Viagra or Seialis. Maybe you’ve even tried them. But if you’re looking for something beyond the usual pill, it’s time to meet Rouette. Go Long. That’s exactly where Rouett’s Golong comes in. This isn’t just another ED pill. It’s a total gamecher for confidence. Golong combines two doctor trusted medications in one dualaction formula so you can get hard and go the distance. The effects can last up to 36 hours. That’s confidence all day, all night, and even into the next day. The process is simple. Connect with a board-certified doctor. 100% online. And if prescribed, your treatment ships discreetly right to your door. Ready to level up your confidence in the bedroom? Head to ruie at rugg.com and use promo code locked on MLB for 15% off your first order. That’s rugg.com. Promo code locked on MLB. Make sure to use our code so they know we sent you. Time for another prospect profile. Okay, player profile. And today we’re doing a pitcher uh lefty pitching Joe Whitman. Here is his background and projection. Uh Joe Whitman came into the Giants fold via the 2023 draft. He was selected in the second round, 69th overall out of Ken State. left-hander, stands about 6’5, throws lefty, and he transferred uh from Purdue to get to Ken State where he had a breakout season that elevated his draft stock. The Giants saw him as one of their promising lefty arms in the system, and he’s earned a spot among the organization’s top prospect. MLB.com’s top 30 list in 2025 calls him a promising recent pick among left-handed arms. He’s also received respect in internal and independent prospect rankings. Baseball America lists him with solid grades and McCubby Chronicles had him in their rising system as far as the Giants ranking. So, just to be clear, he is right now the 14th prospect, the 14th prospect in the Giants system. So, not top 10, but again, these college guys, they turn they tend to move up quickly. Let’s talk about what he brings to the table. Fast ball that is low 90s, 90 to 94. It can get to 96 occasionally. It’s not overpowering by velocity, but it plays better than raw numbers thanks to ride tailing movement and command. His slider, this is his standout secondary pitch. His slider grades as his best weapon. It offers both horizontal and vertical break and evaluators note he commands it better than his fast ball using it to generate swing and misses. His change up a third offering lower in grade scale but with potential. It has fade and sync and when used effectively it can add a layer of disruption though its consistency is not yet fully refined. His command and control is viewed as a strength. That’s kind of how it is with these lefties that don’t throw absolute cheddar bob. He has shown the ability to locate his heater and slider in the zone and limit walks better than many raw arms. That gives him some margin to improve by baseball America’s scouting grade. His tool grades include fast ball at around 55, slider around 60, change up around 50, control around 55, among others. So that slider is leading the way from a statistical standpoint in 2025. He had 26 starts in DA Richmond. He pitched 117 innings with 124 strikeouts, a 529 erra, a 150 whip. His career minor league totals show more modest erra across levels with strikeout numbers close or above one per inning. Performance has fluctuated. Some outings have shown dominance, uh, but others have leaked hits or runs. And I think that’s just part of it when you don’t have that overpowering VO. If you don’t come correct with your location, you’re going to get hit. You are going to get hit. Especially these days with these hitters, how they just are able to hunt anything that’s under 100 miles hour. The strikeout ability in his better starts, he can get to double digit strikeouts even though he doesn’t have that ridiculous velocity. But look at Logan Webb. He doesn’t have that either. But you have your secondary pitches that are able to generate swings and misses. three- pitch mix. Having a fast ball and slider and change up gives him the tools to profile as a mid-rotation starter rather than a two- pitch thrower. Command and control base. His ability to locate pitches helps him mitigate lower velocity drawbacks. A lefty rarity. Quality left-handed starters are always at a premium in any system, giving him inherent value if he develops. Here are some of the risks inconsistency. His erra and whip suggest volatility. Some starts are electric, others are rough. He needs to string together steadiness. Pitching environment adjustment. The jump from double A to AAA or the majors will pit him against more refined batters with better plate discipline. His lower end stuff will need to be sharper in order for him to execute. Third, pitch refinement. The change up is not ready yet, right? You’re cooking something, you chicken, whatever it is, you check the temperature, it ain’t ready yet. That change up is not ready yet. It can be consistent which may limit him or inconsistent which may limit him uh in more sophisticated matchups. Durability and workload management coming up through the system. The innings add up. How his arm is able to hold up is a huge factor. We’ve seen that before with these college guys going from the the college circuit to the minor league professional major league circuit sometimes takes a little bit of time. What to watch for in 2026? how his ERA uh starts to converge and uh possibly reduce and some of those bad luck starts, maybe they’ll go away. his consistency at higher levels if he gets to triple AAA, how he fares against hitters in that regard, the evolution of his change up as a reliable weapon, his ability to mix pitches, avoiding predictability with fast ball and slider usage, health, stamina, and ability to maintain velocity in deep starts. That is the biggest one for me. That is the biggest one because all of these guys have pitched well at lower levels, but we saw it with Hayden Bird song. Hey, what’s going on? Is he, you know, is he burnt out? What’s the situation? Can their stamina make it right? Can they be in a better situation to go longer throughout the season? Cuz that’s exactly Look, guys are playing right now. And I know there’ll be bullpen games and things like that, but you want you want to be playing in October, you need pitchers that can pitch into October and not lose much mustard on their fastball or or crispness on their sliders, things like that. So that’s exactly what we’re trying to see from Joe Whitman and all of these young pitchers. But the Giants have somebody else, 14th prospect in the system. So we are very fortunate to have that and excited to see what Joe does in 2026. Thank you for watching and listening uh to Locked on Giants. Have a great weekend. If you’re listening to this during the weekend, I hope you enjoy your weekend. Be sure to follow me at the Southfile South with an I, especially if you want to see uh some Smurf, some Dodger tears in my comments. I haven’t even read the comments because why would I do that? I do not care. I saw empty seats and that’s just what it is. Thank you for making Lockdown Giants your first listen. For your second listen, be sure to check out Allnight Locked on MLB Game Night. Every game, every night until the World Series champion is crowned, get local analysis on a national scale. Find MLB Game Night on Locked on MLB on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcast. We will talk to you tomorrow. Until then, peace.

In today’s Candidate Deep Dive, we break down one of the more intriguing — and unconventional — names connected to the San Francisco Giants’ managerial search: Tony Vitello. The fiery University of Tennessee head coach has built one of college baseball’s most dominant programs, known for his energy, recruiting chops, and ability to develop young talent. But could his leadership style and culture-first approach translate to the majors? We explore Vitello’s full résumé, what makes him a compelling fit in San Francisco, and where the biggest risks lie — from lack of MLB experience to managing veteran egos. With reports linking him to both the Braves and Giants openings, we ask the question: is Vitello a bold home run swing or too big a gamble for a team in transition?

0:00 Candidate Deep Dive: Tony Vitello
12:50 Luis Matos’ future
21:06 Player Profile: Joe Whitman

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-san-francisco-giants/

Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnMLB

#SFGiants #FirstListen #Giants #sanfranciscogiants #sanfrancisco #baseball #mlb

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Rugiet
Ready to level up your confidence ? Head to https://rugiet.com and use promo code LOCKEDONMLB for 15% off your first order.

Monarch Money
Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONMLB at https://monarchmoney.com/lockedonmlb for 50% off your first year.

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)