The Baltimore Orioles held their introductory press conference for new manager Craig Albernaz at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Tuesday.
Albernaz, 43, could not be more excited to take on the role as the Orioles’ 21st manager in team history. Wearing a No. 55 jersey and surrounded by team owner David Rubenstein and general manager Mike Elias, the skipper said he is ready to compete.
“To do it in such a historic franchise as the Baltimore Orioles, it really is a dream come true,” Albernaz said. “I just can’t wait for the fans to come out, to watch our boys compete because we’re going to play a very exciting brand of baseball.”
Albernaz told reporters he will implement a healthy mix of baseball fundamentals and analytics to highlight the team’s best attributes.
“The best managers in this game, they adapt to the players around them. They don’t have one set way of doing things,” Albernaz said. “That’s the way I see this, you know, myself and the coaching staff are really going to hone in on the players’ strengths.”
Albernaz joined the Orioles from the Cleveland Guardians, where he worked as associate manager in 2025 after being the team’s bench coach in 2024. Prior to his time with the Guardians, he served as the bullpen and catching coach for the San Francisco Giants from 2020 to 2023.
While noting Albernaz’s thick Boston accent, Rubenstein said Albernaz’s name kept coming up during the interview process.
“Everybody kept saying he’s the guy you should get. You may not be lucky enough to get him, but if you can get him, that’s the guy you want,” Rubenstein said. “So when we talked to him, we realized why everybody said that. He’s very impressive. Despite his accent, we think he can learn how to speak Baltimore-ese.”
Before moving into coaching, Albernaz played as a catcher in the minor leagues for nine years. He signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an undrafted free agent in 2006 before finishing his career in the Detroit Tigers system in 2015.
With a new manager in place, Elias said further changes to coaching could be coming with Albernaz’s input. The team will also look at ways to strengthen the squad through free agency.
“We don’t have particular constraints. We’re gonna try to get the best players we can,” Rubenstein said. “Mike [Elias] is leading that effort and has already talked about a number of possibilities with us.”
The Orioles will open the 2026 regular season at home against the Minnesota Twins on March 26, 2026.
“It’s going to be a great bounce-back year for this group,” Albernaz said. “I can’t wait. I’m excited.”
A perfect fit 🧡 pic.twitter.com/O49uhTzkKw
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) November 4, 2025