While the San Francisco Giants are going to focus on getting their act together in Spring Training ahead of the official start to the 2026 MLB season, others’ eyes are going to be observing manager Tony Vitello.
Vitello, who is entering his first MLB season as a manager, already is getting plenty of notice, and he’s not even managed a game, much less a Spring Training one, at the MLB level.
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Of course, Vitello was named the Giants’ manager in the offseason. He came over to the Giants after a very successful tenure as head coach of the University of Tennessee Volunteers’ baseball program.
Yet, dealing with players in the majors is a big jump from the college game. Vitello will have to maneuver through this new landscape with his eyes wide open.
What will this season actually look like with Vitello leading the way? In a new article from MLB.com, it talks about every single MLB team’s top storyline entering the Spring Training period.
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The story just focused on Vitello and if he’d be ready for this challenge.
“The Giants took a risk in hiring Vitello, who became the first college coach to be elevated directly to Major League manager without any professional coaching experience,” the article indicates.
“Vitello is coming off an enormously successful eight-year run at the University of Tennessee, but he’ll face a slew of new challenges in the Majors, including navigating a 162-game schedule for the first time and securing buy-in from players who aren’t quite as impressionable as young college kids,” the article continues.
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“Vitello will have two former MLB managers on his coaching staff in Ron Washington and Jayce Tingler, so the Giants are hoping they’ll help cover his blind spots and set the right tone this spring,” according to the MLB.com article.
Don’t skip over the fact that Washington and Tingler are available for Vitello to seek their guidance throughout the season. Washington previously was manager for the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers, while serving as a coach for the Atlanta Braves, too. Washington will handle coaching infielders, one of his true specialties.
Tingler was a manager between 2020-21 for the San Diego Padres. He’s been a bench coach for the Minnesota Twins before coming over to join the Giants. Also, Tingler and Vitello were teammates for the University of Missouri’s baseball team, too, so their friendship goes way back.
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How will Vitello manage, in a bigger sense of the word, his transition to the big leagues? Time will tell. Yet he’s going to have time in Spring Training to get his feet wet before Opening Day rolls around.
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