Could the SF Giants finally hand the reins over to longtime coach in 2026?

Ron Wotus is back as the third base coach on an interim basis. Could the SF Giants finally hand the reins over to him before the end of the 2026 season?

I would have put those odds at nearly nonexistent before the season began. Two months into the season, those odds are still extremely low, but not nonexistent.

That is just a sign of how this season has gone. The Giants are off to a disastrous 22-35 start and have shown no signs of turning it around.

From a talent standpoint, the Giants should be on a similar level to the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, Arizona has clearly been the superior club in their first six matchups this season. They are playing below their talent level, but it is a flawed roster as well.

A season like this should lead to some uncomfortable conversations with the front office, and force the organization to look itself in the mirror in all facets. The coaching staff is not safe either.

The first domino could lead to more changes for the SF Giants

The Giants proved this already after making a change 65 games into the season. Hector Borg was far from the only issue, and a change was needed. However, making one change to the coaching staff is often a precursor to more moves down the road.

At the end of a disappointing season, front offices will often ask the manager to make changes to the coaching staff. The awkward part is that Borg was seemingly recommended by the front office in the first place.

When coaching changes are made, it is usually a sign that some seats are warming up. The first domino has fallen, but that might not be the only one.

The Giants made an unorthodox hire with Tony Vitello in the offseason. It was a polarizing move to say the least, as many veteran baseball voices felt that he had not earned his stripes.

Vitello was an extremely successful college coach. It would be wrong to pin the team’s struggles on the manager and its coaching staff. However, in terms of the team’s struggles, they are part of the narrative.

The Giants have the rest of the season to evaluate whether Vitello is part of the solution or part of the problem. If the downturn continues, that might prompt them to make a change sooner than that.

That said, it would be difficult to imagine the front office remaining intact if they recommended parting ways with Vitello. It might eventually be best for both sides.

If the Giants make a change at manager before the end of the season, they have an obvious successor in Ron Wotus. Wotus retired from everyday coaching after the 2021 season, but has remained active with the Giants since then.

Wotus had a desire to manage in the past, and was considered for several vacancies. The opportunity to manage the club he has been with for four decades might be too good of an opportunity to pass up. It might be exactly what he needs to come out of retirement, whether it is only as a placeholder or on a longer-term basis.

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