Orioles hiring first base coach to Craig Albernaz’s staff

Former big league outfielder Jason Bourgeois will serve as first base coach under new Orioles manager Craig Albernaz.

Jun 6, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel (8) celebrates his single for his first MLB hit in his debut with first base coach Jason Bourgeois (38) during the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles’ coaching staff continues to build around new manager Craig Albernaz.

According to Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner, the Orioles are expected to hire Jason Bourgeois as first base coach. The former big league outfielder was teammates with Albernaz in 2013 with the Durham Bulls and most recently coached with the Chicago White Sox.

The Orioles are expected to hire Jason Bourgeois as first base coach, two sources said, as they continue to build out the staff around manager Craig Albernaz.

Bourgeois played for the Durham Bulls with Albernaz in 2013.

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) November 10, 2025

Bourgeois, 43, appeared in parts of eight major league seasons during his 18-year playing career. His most notable stint came with the Houston Astros, where he recorded 388 plate appearances between 2010 and 2011. He finished his career with a .253/.300/.326 slash line and stole 54 bases on 69 attempts in the majors.

After retiring as a player, Bourgeois spent five years with the Los Angeles Dodgers in player development, serving as outfield and baserunning coordinator from 2021 to 2023. He was previously on the coaching staff for Class A Great Lakes in 2019 and had been slated for High-A Rancho Cucamonga before the 2020 minor league season was canceled.

In November 2023, Bourgeois was named first base and outfield coach for the White Sox. He spent two seasons with Chicago, but his contract was not renewed after the 2025 season as the club decided to overhaul a coaching staff manager Will Venable had inherited in his first year.

The Chicago White Sox announced the team will not renew the contracts of coaches Ethan Katz, Marcus Thames, Jason Bourgeois and Drew Butera, while Grady Sizemore will be offered a role within the organization for 2026.

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 29, 2025

Since officially naming Albernaz manager on Oct. 27, the Orioles have begun a similar overhaul of their coaching staff. Dustin Lind, who worked with Albernaz in San Francisco, is set to become Baltimore’s hitting coach in 2026. Bourgeois is the second reported Albernaz hire and will replace Anthony Sanders, who left to take the same role with the Detroit Tigers last week.

Other notable staff departures include former third base coach and interim manager Tony Mansolino, bench coach Robinson Chirinos, hitting coach Cody Asche, and assistant hitting coaches Sherman Johnson and Tommy Joseph. It remains unclear whether senior advisor John Mabry or any of the team’s pitching coaches will be retained.

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Bourgeois will be tasked with improving the Orioles’ baserunning, particularly timing and reads. Baltimore ranked 19th in baserunning run value in 2025 despite being among the top five in average sprint speed, according to Statcast.

As Kostka noted, the White Sox struggled on aggressive baserunning attempts in 2025, finishing with -8 runs created when trying to take an extra base. They ranked 28th in sprint speed but were above average at stealing second (+4 run value) thanks in part to the large leads they were able to take on base.

Gunnar Henderson led Baltimore with 30 stolen bases in 2025. Jackson Holliday was next with 17, though he was caught on 11 of 28 attempts.