The Giants announced they’ve hired a bench coach, hitting coach and third base coach, two of whom will be familiar for Giants fans.
Pat Burrell, a former Giant who has worked for the organization in a player development capacity, will serve as hitting coach. Another former Giant, Matt Williams, will work as Bob Melvin’s third base coach. Melvin’s close confidant from San Diego, Ryan Christenson, is following the skipper to the Giants and will be San Francisco’s bench coach.
Melvin’s coaching staff isn’t complete, but is coming into shape. It will include holdovers from the former regime in Mark Hallberg (first base coach), J.P. Martinez (assistant pitching coach), Alyssa Nakken (assistant coach) and Taira Uematsu (assistant coach). Hitting coach Justin Viele and assistant hitting coach Pedro Guerrero are also returning.
Bullpen/catching coach Craig Albernaz has joined Cleveland, and some other coaches aren’t likely to return. San Francisco could have a vacancy if pitching coach Andrew Bailey departs; he has been reported to be interested in being closer to his family on the east coast.
Melvin’s first hires, though, represent major change in Oracle Park.
Burrell became a fan-favorite when got traded to the Giants in 2010 and helped them win the franchise’s first World Series in San Francisco. The two-time champion spent only two seasons with the Giants, but left a memorable mark.
For the past four years, Burrell has served as a roving hitting coach in the Giants’ organization. He and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi have a strong relationship; when Zaidi addressed reporters on Oct. 3 following Gabe Kapler’s firing, Zaidi mentioned that he’d talked to Burrell shortly before the scrum.
Williams spent 10 of his 17 MLB seasons with the Giants and won a World Series with the Diamondbacks in 2001. He worked under Melvin in both San Diego and Oakland and also managed the Nationals for two years. The 57-year-old will take over Hallberg’s post at third base.
Christenson also has an impressive resume. After 16 seasons in Oakland, he served as Melvin’s bench coach in 2022 and associate manager in 2023.
The remainder of the Giants’ coaching staff will be filled out and announced in the coming weeks.
