New Giants manager Tony Vitello working to get his club on track after frustrating 3-7 start

Vitello has been apologizing to his family for the Giants' poor start as he adjusts to the major league level

Apr. 7, 2026 at 1:51am by Ben Kaplan

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A cubist-inspired painting featuring overlapping geometric shapes and planes in shades of orange and black, abstractly representing the energy and movement of a baseball game or match, without any identifiable players or teams.A cubist interpretation of the Giants' frustrating start under new manager Tony Vitello, with the team's struggles and energy captured in a fragmented, geometric visual style.San Francisco Today

San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello is working to turn around his team's frustrating 3-7 start to the season. Vitello, who made the jump from college coaching at the University of Tennessee, has been spending a lot of time reflecting on his decisions and mistakes as the Giants have struggled out of the gate. The team has been outscored by 25 runs through their first 10 games, the worst mark for the franchise since 1896. Vitello was even ejected for the first time in his career during a recent loss to the Mets. Despite the early challenges, Vitello and players like third baseman Matt Chapman remain optimistic that the Giants can turn things around and climb back up in the competitive NL West division.

Why it matters

The Giants' poor start under new manager Tony Vitello has raised concerns about the team's ability to compete in the tough NL West after missing the playoffs the past four seasons. Vitello's transition from college to the major league level has been a learning experience, but the team and fans are hoping he can quickly get the club back on track.

The details

In his first 10 games as Giants manager, Tony Vitello has led the team to a frustrating 3-7 record. The Giants have been outscored by 25 runs, the worst mark for the franchise through 10 games since 1896. Vitello was even ejected for the first time in his career during a recent loss to the Mets after arguing a call. Despite the early struggles, Vitello has been spending a lot of time reflecting on his decisions and mistakes, often apologizing to his family for the team's poor play. Vitello and players like third baseman Matt Chapman remain optimistic that the Giants can turn things around and climb back up in the competitive NL West division.

  • On April 7, 2026, the Giants lost their third straight game to the Mets, leading to Vitello's first career ejection.
  • The Giants' 3-7 start through their first 10 games is tied for their second-worst record in that span since moving to San Francisco in 1958.

The players

Tony Vitello

The new manager of the San Francisco Giants, who previously coached at the University of Tennessee. He is working to turn around the team's frustrating 3-7 start to the season.

Matt Chapman

The Giants' third baseman, who is hopeful the team can overcome their early struggles and gain momentum to climb up in the NL West standings.

Harrison Bader

The Giants' center fielder, who has expressed appreciation for Vitello's passion, energy, and approach despite the team's poor start.

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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 bounce back in their upcoming series against the Philadelphia Phillies as they try to turn around their slow start to the season under new manager Tony Vitello.

The takeaway

The Giants' frustrating 3-7 start under first-year manager Tony Vitello has raised concerns about the team's ability to compete in the tough NL West, but the players and Vitello remain optimistic that they can overcome the early struggles and regain their footing as the season progresses.