Orioles Hire Craig Albernaz as New Manager

Following a disappointing 75-87 season in 2025, the first order of business for the Baltimore Orioles was filling their managerial void. Once their search had concluded, the O’s revealed on Sunday night that they had appointed Craig Albernaz, formerly the associate manager of the Cleveland Guardians, as their new skipper.

Albernaz, who will be 43 at the start of the 2026 season, was a hot commodity in the managerial interview process and reportedly withdrew from consideration for multiple openings in previous hiring cycles to search for a more desirable gig.

The Orioles, despite finishing last in the AL East this past season, come with plenty of intrigue to a prospective manager. The club won 101 games in 2023 and 91 games in 2024 with largely the same core. With effective leadership, this club is likely to rebound.

The team fired its manager of six seasons, Brandon Hyde, in May and was in the market for a new leader in the dugout. Upon Hyde’s mid-season dismissal, the organization promoted third base coach Tony Mansolino to interim manager for the remainder of the season. During Mansolino’s tenure, the Orioles finished the regular season with a 60-59 record.

It is believed that Mansolino was a candidate in the managerial search, but president of baseball operations Mike Elias ultimately went in a different direction.

“We believe [Albernaz] 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,” Elias declared in a press release.

Albernaz has received high praise from managers he worked beneath, like Joe Maddon. He shared a particularly special bond with the current Guardians’ skipper, Stephen Vogt.

“The two years I got to spend with Craig will be two years I cherish more than any in my career. He’s going to crush it in Baltimore. I’m ecstatic for him,” Vogt said, according to Ken Rosenthal.

The baseball media is buzzing about Albernaz’s resume, but he won’t make the Orioles a finished product. Much work needs to be done to improve this team for 2026, in-house and in free agency. Albernaz won’t be managing with the expectation of World Series-or-bust in 2026, like Hyde had been, unless many moves are made.

Craig Albernaz: Career Rewind

• 2006-14: Played in the Tampa Bay Rays’ minor league system as a catcher. Made it as far as Triple-A but never played in the major leagues.
• 2015-16: Minor league coach for the Rays.
• 2017: Manager of Low-A Hudson Valley (Rays).
• 2018: Manager of High-A Bowling Green (Rays). Earned Midwest League Manager of the Year honors.
• 2019-22: Bullpen and catching coach for the San Francisco Giants.
• 2023: Bench coach for the Cleveland Guardians.
• 2024: Associate manager for the Guardians.

How Can Albernaz Succeed in Year One?

Elias sent a lot of major leaguers on expired deals packing at the trade deadline, so there are plenty of voids on the club’s roster – particularly in the bullpen. Albernaz won’t be able to control whether Elias lands an impact arm or a steady veteran bat in free agency, but he can help the existing young core of the Orioles bounce back.

The O’s finished the season 24th in team on-base percentage (.305) and 21st in team OPS (.699). Just about every member of the team’s nucleus regressed, with the exception of 21-year-old Jackson Holliday. A better bill of health would certainly help as well, as Holliday was also the only everyday player who didn’t require a stint on the injured list in 2025.

While some players took a small step back, like Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg, others will need to solidify their spots as everyday players on the roster.

Colton Cowser (.654 OPS) hits the ball hard but strikes out far too much. Adley Rutschman is still the franchise catcher, but the offensive results didn’t reflect that in 2025 (91 wRC+). Heston Kjerstad is a former number two overall pick, but he seems disillusioned in the major leagues.

If Albernaz and his staff can be the new voice that these players, along with youngsters Coby Mayo, Samuel Basallo, and Dylan Beavers, improve with, that would make year one a success – regardless of the team’s record.

Filling Hyde’s Shoes

It’s no secret that Hyde became unpopular in Baltimore towards the end of his tenure with the club, due to its terrible start to the 2025 season. However, it’s fair to contemplate what the team sees in Albernaz that they didn’t already have in Hyde.

Like Albernaz, Hyde is a former minor league catcher who was hired as a manager for the first time with Baltimore. He also operated as a bench coach for a winning team prior to his hiring (2016 Cubs). Hyde led the team through its dark rebuilding days and won Manager of the Year honors in 2023.

When the club started the season 15-28, someone had to wear the blame. Hyde took the bullet for the team’s lack of success, but their underlying flaws were still present when he departed.

It’s fair to put blame on Hyde and his staff for the regression of so many young hitters, but the poor pitching was hardly their fault. Elias inked Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano to one-year deals this past offseason to plug holes in the rotation, neither of which worked out. Grayson Rodriguez also unexpectedly missed the entire season due to injury, creating an even larger void in the rotation.

Was Hyde the one responsible for 37-year-old Kyle Gibson getting four starts early in the year and posting a 16.78 ERA? I doubt it. Elias simply whiffed on signing impact rotation arms for a team that desperately needed them.

The biggest pitfall of Hyde’s tenure was his 0-5 postseason record. This led many to desire a manager with previous postseason success, with the hope that such a skipper would provide the necessary experience to help the team win big games. By hiring another manager in his first crack at the role, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be any more of a sage in the clubhouse than Hyde was.

There’s plenty of optimism to go around regarding Albernaz, but his tenure will ultimately be defined by two things: his postseason record and Elias’ willingness to invest in the major league club.