Baltimore Orioles announce Craig Albernaz as new manager
The Baltimore Orioles announced Craig Albernaz as the franchise's next manager on Monday.
"I am deeply honored and humbled to join the storied Baltimore Orioles organization," Albernaz said. "This is a tremendous honor, and I'm grateful to Mike Elias and the entire Orioles team for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading this talented club."
Albernaz, 42, served last season as the associate manager with the Cleveland Guardians. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Albernaz was a finalist for Cleveland's managerial job in 2023.
He has also been with the Tampa Bay Rays and San Francisco Giants organizations.
Passan wrote that Albernaz is "one of the game's most well-respected young coaches."
Albernaz will be introduced at a press conference on Tuesday, October 28.
"We are elated to welcome Craig Albernaz as the next manager of the Orioles and our leader on the field," said Mike Elias, the Orioles President of Baseball Operations and General Manager. "Craig has built an exemplary career across multiple successful organizations and brings a tremendous amount of experience, knowledge, and talent to our organization and to this new challenge. We believe he is the right person at the right time to elevate our baseball operations and guide our team back to the playoffs and a World Series Championship."
Who is Craig Albernaz?
Albernaz spent the past two seasons on the Cleveland Guardians' coaching staff, as the associate manager and as the bench coach. The Guardians won the American League Central in each of the past two seasons.
He started his coaching career in 2015 with the Tampa Rays organization. He was hired as the San Francisco Giants' bullpen coach in 2019 before joining Cleveland's coaching staff in 2023.
He played catcher in the Rays' organization from 2006 through 2013.
Brandon Hyde fired
The Baltimore Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde last May after a 15-28 start, after entering the season with high expectations.
Hyde guided the team through an extensive rebuild and won manager of the year honors in 2023. The Orioles reached the postseason in 2023 and 2024, but were swept in both of those playoff series.
"As the head of baseball operations, the poor start to our season is ultimately my responsibility," Elias said in a statement. "Part of that responsibility is pursuing difficult changes in order to set a different course for the future. I want to thank Brandon for his hard work, dedication and passion all these years, and for returning the team to the playoffs and winning an AL East championship."
Third base coach Tony Mansolino served as interim manager for the rest of the 2025 season.
2026 outlook
With big expectations entering the 2025 season, the Orioles finished in last place in the American League East.
The Orioles will enter the 2026 season with talented young players, including Samuel Basallo, Dylan Beavers, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo, Adley Rutchman, and Colton Cowser.
The starting pitching staff could see Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, and Dean Kremer.
The Orioles open the 2026 season on Thursday, March 26 against the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
