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The San Francisco Giants are closer to the Rockies than they are to the Dodgers, and that fact falls squarely on the shoulders of the players — especially highly paid veterans Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, and Matt Chapman.
But the coaches share some blame too. It’s on rookie manager Tony Vitello and his staff to put his players in position to succeed, and the club’s 22-34 record reflects their failure to do so.
Think back to the last good Giants team, when Gabe Kapler’s 2021 squad won a franchise-record 107 games. Mileage varies on Kapler’s legacy with the franchise, he and his coaching staff undeniably got the most out of a roster made up mostly of aging position players and platoon specialists.
Kapler’s aggressive in-game management was grating to some fans, but the results — at least in 2021 — were undeniable. In hindsight, his staff looks loaded.
Hitting coach Donnie Ecker won a World Series as Bruce Bochy’s offensive coordinator in Texas. He’s now the bench coach for Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz, San Francisco’s bullpen and catching coach in 2021. The 2021 pitching director, Brian Bannister, is among the most respected minds in the sport. Alyssa Nakken is in Cleveland’s front office. Kai Correa keeps getting promotions and is now with the Mets. Antoan Richardson is the first base coach for the first-place Braves. Kapler runs the Miami Marlins.
Compare that coaching talent to what the Giants have now. Hunter Mense came highly touted from Toronto to bring a more contact-oriented hitting strategy; San Francisco has drawn the fewest walks in the league by far and doesn’t have many barrels to show for the approach (24th in hard hit rate).
Third base coach Hector Borg has taken his lumps with questionable sends, including in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to Arizona. San Francisco is statistically the worst base-running club in baseball. (opens in new tab)
Frank Anderson followed Vitello from Tennessee into the director of pitching job — an important position increasingly filled by analytically minded experts of pitch design and other concepts. Pitching coach Justin Meccage spent last year with the same title for the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate. San Francisco’s pitching staff ranks 18th in ERA.
Former manager Jayce Tingler, Vitello’s bench coach, was to bring experience and savvy to in-game decisions. The Giants have four pinch hits and no pinch homers all year, as Vitello has been reluctant to use his bench to gain platoon advantages.
The Giants rank 16th (opens in new tab) in sprint speed as a team, yet they’ve stolen just 14 bases all year. Seattle’s Josh Naylor would be the slowest player on San Francisco’s roster, and he has swiped 12 bags. The inability to take advantage of the roster’s athleticism is just one example of the coaching staff’s failure to implement fundamentals.
Legendary coach Ron Washington has been a bright spot, helping turn Luis Arráez from a defensive liability into an asset at second base.
Hiring Vitello was a risk worth taking. Much of that job relates to vibe coordination, and Vitello’s distinct personality presents a different, potentially valuable look in a sport that has skewed toward homogeneity.
But the Giants have the 11th highest payroll and the third worst record. Vitello and his staff bear some responsibility for a season that’s already off the rails.
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