Tony Vitello Gets Personal Feedback After Completing His First Year with San Francisco

The San Francisco Giants rolled into 2026 with a veteran-led lineup and a first-year manager in Tony Vitello. While expectations weren't met - finishing fourth in the NL West, nowhere near playoff contention - there were a lot of lessons learned for Vitello and his now very young roster.

The former University of Tennessee head coach got a taste of what managing is like at the Major League level. In his and President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey's end-of-season press conference, Vitello revealed what he learned in his first season under contract.

"I made a comment about being the boss or manager or something that in a team meeting at some point. I've learned more and I understand that manager is a specific name for a reason and I think there's some adaptations there, too," Vitello said.

At the end of the year, Vitello can only look back and wish he had done things differently, but for the future, it means he'll be better prepared. It's not like the Giants roster was healthy regardless, as they tied an MLB record for players used in one season.

Vitello's Personal Message

San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello (23) looks on during batting practice. Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In John Shea's San Francisco Standard article, Vitello's father, Greg Vitello, was asked what his son could work on this offseason to improve in 2027.

"I think just be a little bit more of himself. There’s a lot of fire there, and I think he held back a little bit," Vitello's father said.

There's more fire in Vitello!? The Giants manager led Major League Baseball in 2026 in manager ejections, hitting the showers early seven times. Though the Giants didn't perform well in 2026, it's undeniable that Vitello has the passion necessary to be a successful big-league manager.

Vitello's father believes in his son's abilities to lead San Francisco back into the playoff hunt next season, with several positives to take away from his first year as manager as well.

"At this level, there’s just so much to learn every day. I think one of the things is that he’s accepted the fact that ‘I need to learn more.’ Some guys, they can’t do that. It’s, ‘Hey, man, I’ve arrived.’ He hasn’t arrived, and he knows it.”

Luckily for Vitello and his team, they're filled with that fire after missing the playoffs when they were highly touted going into the season. In the end-of-season press conference, Vitello laid out what he wants from his team once game one arrives.

"My hope is next year, when it starts, there's a bunch of people on a mission, and I'll be one of those people."

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