A 56-81 record would get most managers fired. Not Tony Vitello. The Giants have decided to keep him for 2027, with president of baseball operations Buster Posey making it clear that the team’s struggles go deeper than the manager’s chair.
San Francisco’s .409 winning percentage is the club’s lowest since 2017, and only three teams in baseball have fared worse this season. The Giants are on pace for 96 losses, and a 100-loss campaign remains in play, something the franchise has endured just once before. Offensively, they rank 25th in runs scored. On the mound, they’re 20th in runs allowed. This is a roster with holes everywhere.
Posey isn’t ignoring the standings. He’s just not letting them dictate his decision. Instead, he points to the daily work he sees from Vitello and his staff, and to signs of individual player growth. That approach echoes the kind of long-term thinking seen in baseball preseason wagering analysis, where context and small samples often muddy the picture.
Poor run production and prevention shape the assessment
On paper, the Giants’ record screams for a change, especially after Vitello’s leap from college baseball to the majors. But the team’s rankings in both runs scored and runs allowed suggest there’s no quick fix, no single tactical misstep to blame.
| Measure | Giants figure | MLB context |
|---|---|---|
| Record entering final day of August | 56-81 | Fourth-worst in baseball |
| Winning percentage | .409 | Lowest Giants mark since 2017 if maintained |
| Runs scored rank | 25th | Bottom third of MLB |
| Runs allowed rank | 20th | Bottom third of MLB |
| Projected losses | 96 | Worst Giants season since 2017 |
Posey addressed the optics head-on. “It’s always a hard thing because people are like, ‘Well, you’re 25 games or whatever under, how can you say they did a nice job?’” he told the San Francisco Chronicle. “But I’m watching them every day and the work that they’re putting in, some of the improvements that players are making. From my vantage point, they’ve done a nice job.”
He isn’t defending the record. He’s defending the process and the incremental progress he sees behind the scenes.
Stability gives Vitello time to reshape the roster
Vitello is under contract through 2028, with a vesting option for 2029, after the Giants bought out his Tennessee deal last winter. He’s owed $7 million over the next two years. That figure wouldn’t stop the Giants from making a change if they wanted to, and it wouldn’t keep Vitello from returning to college if he chose.
Posey says he’s told Vitello directly that he’ll be back. He also hasn’t sensed any desire from Vitello to leave. “All of our conversations are future-oriented, like, ‘What do we have to do to get this right?’” Posey said.
Vitello will decide the fate of his coaching staff. Posey is leaving that call to his manager, a notable show of trust after the franchise cycled through Bruce Bochy, Gabe Kapler, and Bob Melvin in less than a decade.
Roster questions remain. Left-hander Sam Hentges just landed on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm strain. Matt Wilkinson was recalled from Triple-A to take his spot. Hentges has logged a 3.27 ERA, a 22.7 percent strikeout rate, and a 46.1 percent ground-ball rate in 33 innings, without surrendering a home run, but he’s also walked nearly 15 percent of hitters. He’ll be arbitration-eligible for one more year, and his health looms as a key variable for 2027.
Vitello knows the challenge ahead. “When you get somewhere, you always want to leave it better, and I’m personally willing to go through hell or high water to do that.”
