When Craig Stammen was announced as the new manager of the San Diego Padres, the Friar Faithful were obviously concerned about the first-time skipper. He had never managed at the major-league (or any) level.
When he retired after the 2022 season, the former relief pitcher was hired by the Padres’ front office as a special assistant. While the role can be a purely honorary title, Stammen was heavily involved with the team.
The Search for the New Friars’ Skipper
After Mike Shildt announced his surprise decision to leave San Diego, the Padres were scrambling to find a new manager. In the hiring process, three names came forward:
Ruben Niebla
The longtime pitching coach was seriously considered for the role before it eventually fell to Stammen. But Niebla is staying on as pitching coach and will take some form of managerial duties alongside Stammen.
Nick Hundley
Former big-league catcher Nick Hundley played for the Friars across six seasons before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2014. Since 2022 he’s been the special assistant to the General Manager for the Texas Rangers.
Albert Pujols
The perceived frontrunner of the three, Albert Pujols has the obvious pedigree with his (soon-to-be) Hall of Fame career. In 22 seasons, he finished with a .296 career batting average and 703 home runs.
However, without any managerial experience in the big leagues, Pujols was passed over. His only experience came in managing Leones del Escogido in their LIDOM championship run this past year.
Returning to the Manager’s Chair for the World Baseball Classic
With the Dominican Republic’s incredible success in the group stage of the WBC, it’s worth wondering whether or not Pujols would have been the better choice to lead the Padres over Stammen. His management of Team DR has been one of the best stories of the Classic.
The team has started off with a 3-0 record and has scored 10-plus runs in each contest. But it’s tough to say whether or not Pujols has done anything to foster that.
With such a star-studded lineup (including Padres’ clubhouse leaders Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado), the manager could be anybody, and they’d likely get the job done. But many are asking if the success has come from Pujols, and are further questioning Stammen’s ability to helm San Diego.
Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols 👏 pic.twitter.com/Rup5BB7KR0
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 8, 2026
Can Stammen Renew Faith in His Ability to Compete?
Across this spring, Stammen has managed the Padres in each contest. Obviously, without any of the games being real, it’s difficult to say whether his decisions signal good omens.
The problem is his overall demeanor. The Friar Faithful have consistently wondered if he has the attitude needed to run the San Diego clubhouse. Many see him as too jovial to wrangle the tempers and personalities of a ball club.
It’s possible that Pujols would have more success with that helming the Padres than Stammen, given his illustrious career, but that might give way to another problem. The players might start to ogle him as an idol instead of listening to him as a manager.
Whatever the case, Stammen’s presence in the clubhouse is clearly trusted by General Manager A.J. Preller, and he seems beloved by players and coaching staff alike. The manager’s chair in San Diego has dealt with frequent rotation in recent years, and it would be wonderful to see that fixed with Stammen’s tenure.
Main Photo Credit: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images