New Giants manager Tony Vitello working to get club on track after frustrating 3-8 start

Vitello has been apologizing to his family for the team's poor play as he adjusts to the major league level.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 1:20pm by Ben Kaplan

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting in bold, clashing colors, breaking down a baseball game or match into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes, conceptually representing the Giants' frustrating start to the season.A cubist interpretation of the Giants' frustrating start to the season, with the team's struggles and sloppy play deconstructed into a dynamic, geometric composition.San Francisco Today

Tony Vitello, the new manager of the San Francisco Giants, is working to turn around the team's frustrating 3-8 start to the season. Vitello, who previously coached at the college level, has been spending a lot of time analyzing the team's mistakes and decisions, even apologizing to his family for the poor play. The Giants have been outscored by 25 runs through their first 10 games, the worst mark for the franchise since 1896. Vitello and third baseman Matt Chapman have discussed some of the team's issues, like Chapman getting caught stealing in a recent loss. Despite the struggles, the players and coaches have praised Vitello's passion, energy, and approach, and believe the team can turn things around with time.

Why it matters

The Giants' poor start has put them at the bottom of the powerful NL West division, missing the playoffs for the past four seasons. Vitello's transition from college to the major league level has been challenging, but the team is hopeful that his winning pedigree and ability to connect with players can help them turn things around and get back into playoff contention.

The details

The Giants have lost three straight games, including a 5-2 loss to the Mets in which third baseman Matt Chapman was caught stealing after a leadoff single in the ninth inning. Vitello was also ejected for the first time in his career on Sunday for arguing a call. The team has been trying too hard to win, leading to some sloppy mistakes. Coming into Monday's game, the Giants had been outscored by 25 runs over their initial 10 contests, the worst mark through 10 games for the franchise since 1896. Their 3-7 record was tied for the second-worst through 10 games since moving to San Francisco in 1958.

  • On Sunday afternoon, Vitello was ejected for the first time in his career for arguing a call in the seventh inning.
  • On Monday night, the Giants lost again, squandering an early four-run lead to the Philadelphia Phillies in a 6-4 setback.

The players

Tony Vitello

The new manager of the San Francisco Giants, who is transitioning from the college ranks to the major league level.

Matt Chapman

The Giants' third baseman, who was caught stealing in a recent loss to the Mets.

Harrison Bader

The Giants' center fielder, who has been batting .118 (4 for 34) with a home run to start the season.

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What they’re saying

“At 3-7 and how yesterday went, I didn't think yesterday was the proper time for me to go gallivanting around San Francisco, so, yeah, I was in my condo the whole night. Whether I'm there or sitting with family I apologize to them, 'Find something better to watch if you're watching this.' We're at dinner, I am thinking about this more than that. So, yeah, yesterday sitting at home you finish on a day game and you have a night game, you've got a lot of time to go over that stuff. You replay it all.”

— Tony Vitello, Giants Manager

“Whatever it is, I think it's more of an accumulation of maybe some frustrating things happening because we're right there and we're not able to get the job done. ... It sucks when it looks like it's sloppy baseball and we're making some sloppy mistakes that kind of shot us in the foot last year and was one of the reasons why we probably weren't able to finish as strong. But I don't think it's going to be something that's going to be the story of our season by any means.”

— Matt Chapman, Giants Third Baseman

“Listen, Tony's great, I like Tony, he's cool. At the major league level, a little different in terms of the fans and the speed but he won at a really high level in the SEC. It's the same game, so he's familiar to winning and what it looks like to help players win and what that feeling looks like and how to maintain it. So he's in the right spot.”

— Harrison Bader, Giants Center Fielder

What’s next

The Giants will look to turn things around as they continue their three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies, hoping to build some much-needed momentum and climb back up in the NL West standings.

The takeaway

Vitello's transition from the college ranks to the major league level has been challenging, but the Giants remain optimistic that his winning pedigree, passion, and ability to connect with players can help the team overcome their frustrating start and get back into playoff contention. The team's early struggles have exposed some sloppy play and mistakes, but the players believe they can turn things around with time.