The San Francisco Giants’ ugly 2026 season has left plenty of fans restless, but it should not be the measuring stick for Tony Vitello.
That is the basic message from Buster Posey, who has already made it clear the first-year manager will get another run. The Giants president of baseball operations said Vitello, 47, is “coming back,” even as frustration continues to boil over in the Bay Area.
For a fan base still living off the memory of the 2010s and those three World Series titles, this season has been a hard watch. The Giants have badly underachieved in 2026, and plenty of supporters want changes. Vitello, though, is not one of them.
He is set to return next season, and the bigger task now is less about salvaging the present than protecting what matters and preparing for 2027. With a very different roster expected ahead, Vitello is in damage-control mode, focused on limiting the risk of injury to the club’s proven pieces.
That makes sense given how the Giants got here in the first place. Posey made the unusual call to hire a college coach with no prior MLB experience, betting on Vitello’s track record at Tennessee, where he built a powerhouse and eventually won a College World Series title. The move drew criticism, but it also carried the kind of boldness that some around the game praised as innovative.
Now, with the first season in the books, the Giants are still positioned to benefit from what Vitello does best. He has a long history of working with young players, and that should matter as the organization leans into a youth movement. Josuar Gonzalez and Bo Davidson fit that mold, and Vitello also already knows several young Giants from his Tennessee days.
Blade Tidwell and Gavin Kilen are among the former Vols who could become important parts of what comes next.
Vitello’s appeal goes beyond familiarity, though. He has shown he can handle pressure, defend his players and keep a steady hand on the bench. That combination, along with his baseball acumen, is why the Giants believe he remains the right fit.
The season has been messy. The reaction has been loud. But the organization has chosen not to let the noise decide Vitello’s future.
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