Our contributors at Brew Crew Ball are excited to get the 2026 season underway after an offseason that saw quite a bit of turnover across the league. Here are our bold predictions and storylines to watch for the Brewers in 2026.

Bold Predictions

Paul Dietrich: The Brewers have a pair of 30/30 players

If I wanted to get extremely bold, I would say three… but I don’t think Christian Yelich has another 30/30 season in him, which he has done only once, in 2019. But: Jackson Chourio has gone 20/20 in each of his first two seasons, and if he makes the kind of jump we all think he can make, it’s definitely in play. The other one would have to be Brice Turang, who so far this spring has given us no reason to believe that the late-season power surge that got him to 18 homers last year was a mirage. Thirty homers is probably a stretch, but that’s what makes the prediction bold… and he’s averaged 36 stolen bases per season as a big leaguer, so that seems doable even if he only had 24 in 2025.

Harrison Freuck: Jacob Misiorowski reaches the 200-strikeout threshold

This isn’t overly bold, especially given how easily Jacob Misiorowski manages to rack up strikeouts, but this prediction would require him to make at least 20 starts (and that’s if he averages 10 strikeouts/game). Last season, he totaled 87 strikeouts in just 66 innings, so at that pace, he’d need to pitch roughly 150 innings. The bold part of this prediction is that Miz’s career-high in innings pitched came last year, when he totaled 129 1/3 innings between Triple-A and MLB. Hitting the 200-strikeout mark would also make him the eighth Brewer since 2021 to reach that threshold (and give the Brewers a 200-strikeout pitcher for the sixth consecutive season).

Dave Gasper: Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio both have 30/30 seasons, finish top 10 in NL MVP voting

The power surge that Turang saw in the second half last season was proof that he was finally able to get his raw power to click in game action. With that knowledge, over a full season, I believe he has a very good chance to reach 30 homers. Turang’s speed is also elite, and with a change in first base coach to Spencer Allen, I imagine stealing bases will be a renewed priority for this team, and Turang should reach 30 steals easily.

Jackson Chourio has gone 20/20 in each of his first two seasons in MLB, but there’s plenty more in the tank. After all, he just turned 22 years old. If not for a hamstring injury last year that took him out for much of August, Chourio likely would have well surpassed his rookie year numbers. I expect with a fully healthy season this year, Chourio can reach 30/30 as well and continue his superstar trajectory. If both he and Turang can do that, they’ll help lift this team to another NL Central title and should receive enough MVP votes to finish in the top 10.

Jason Paczkowski: Brice Turang finishes in the top five for NL MVP

In the award predictions, I said that Turang could finish in the top 10 for NL MVP. Looking at his performance from last year, he should have been in the top 10 anyway. A big factor there is name recognition, and while stats can carry quite a bit, having a reputation can help gain votes. It’s likely part of the reason that Christian Yelich — who finished 12th in the NL MVP vote — finished ahead of Turang last season. If he posts a similar season to last year, he will definitely be in the top 10 this time. If he improves on it, the top five will be within his reach.

Adam Zimmer: Jacob Misiorowski is a top-five NL Cy Young finisher

I’m a big believer in Misiorowski, who has the stuff to eventually win a Cy Young someday. He’s not there yet, particularly given the stiff competition he’ll face in the National League. Still, Misiorowski showed flashes of greatness in an up-and-down season. With former ace Freddy Peralta now in New York, the Brewers will need their new Opening Day starter to serve as a steady option at the front of the rotation. If his command is even slightly improved after an offseason of work with the Brewers’ pitching lab, the sky is the limit for the Miz.

Storylines to Watch

Paul Dietrich: Who is the first blue-chip prospect to break through?

Given that we expect the Brewers to contend this season, it’s a bit strange to call it a transitional year… but it is, in some ways. Luis Rengifo was brought in for one year, as a cadre of exciting infield prospects make their way up the minor league ladder. Joey Ortiz is either going to prove he deserves to start on a good major league team, or he’s going to quickly fall out of the Brewers’ plans. The same goes for Garrett Mitchell, who needs to produce in addition to staying mostly healthy for a full season.

It would not be a shock if the 2027 Brewers had an Opening Day lineup that included Jesús Made, Cooper Pratt, and Jett Williams in place of Rengifo, Ortiz, and Mitchell. My question is whether we see any of those guys this year. Made is probably not going to happen, and Pratt needs to show he can hit at Triple-A. But Williams could be a candidate for the roster if anyone struggles or gets hurt, even if it’s early in the season. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Pratt made it to Milwaukee for his debut sometime late this summer.

Harrison Freuck: Can Milwaukee’s 2025 breakout stars repeat in 2026?

The Brewers won 97 games in 2025 largely on the backs of some previously unsung players. Brice Turang took another big step forward to lead the team with 5.6 bWAR. Quinn Priester and Chad Patrick broke out in the rotation as two of the best pitchers on this team. Andrew Vaughn, who was a star prospect before struggling in the majors with the White Sox, seemed to find his groove in a new place as he was a key part of Milwaukee’s late-season push for the NL Central crown. If those players (and others) can repeat in 2026, this team will have what it takes to claim a fourth consecutive NL Central title.

Dave Gasper: Which starting pitchers ultimately earn job security?

The Brewers have loaded up on starting pitching depth. With everyone healthy, the Brewers have 11 legitimate starting pitching options on the 40-man roster, and that doesn’t even include Aaron Ashby or DL Hall. Jacob Misiorowski is pretty locked in to a spot, as are Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester when healthy. Chad Patrick is in a pretty good spot right now, but will that remain the case as his sophomore season goes along? Tobias Myers lost his job pretty quickly last year.

Kyle Harrison and Brandon Sproat appear to have won the early-season spots in the rotation, but will they be able to keep them as the season goes along? Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Shane Drohan, Carlos Rodriguez, and Coleman Crow can step in at the first sign of trouble. The Brewers will likely use all of these starting pitchers throughout the year. With so much depth, the cream will rise to the top. Who will that be? Who can stake a more permanent claim on a rotation spot? It will be fascinating to watch.

Jason Paczkowski: Can Andrew Vaughn maintain his 2025 performance?

When the Brewers acquired Andrew Vaughn for Aaron Civale in 2025, it felt like they were just trying to get anything for a disgruntled player. It was entirely possible that Vaughn would have just lingered down in Triple-A for the rest of 2025. However, when Rhys Hoskins went down injured, Vaughn became one of the Brewers’ legends. He went from hitting .189 for the White Sox to hitting .308 for the Brewers. All of his numbers saw dramatic jumps. His biggest moment may have come in NLDS Game 5, where his solo home run put the Brewers ahead for good.

The big question for Vaughn is if he can do it again. The track record with the White Sox wasn’t great, but it was also the White Sox. It’s hard to tell if his struggles were due to playing on a bad team or if he would be struggling regardless of where he played. The Brewers need the 2025 version of him to shine through if they want to hold the division title again in 2026.

Adam Zimmer: Who’s going to play third base?

The majority of the Brewers’ infield is pretty much set. Andrew Vaughn will be the regular first baseman, spelled occasionally by Jake Bauers. Second base is locked down by Brice Turang, and shortstop is Joey Ortiz’s job to lose. After trading last year’s starting third baseman, Caleb Durbin, to the Red Sox, the Brewers didn’t exactly find a clear replacement. Luis Rengifo appears to have the inside track for the job, but if he struggles, the Brewers could turn to fellow offseason acquisition David Hamilton. Given the Brewers’ infield depth in the minor leagues (Jett Williams, Brock Wilken, Cooper Pratt, and even Andrew Fischer), there’s a chance their third baseman down the stretch isn’t currently on the 40-man roster.

Spring training has finally concluded, the Colorado Rockies roster is set, and the 2026 season officially begins for the club on Friday. With the conclusion of a successful Camp Schaeffer, it seems appropriate to hand out some superlative predictions for the new-look Rockies as we head into the regular season with hopes high and the team looking to leave the 2025 season far in the rearview mirror.

Most Likely to Rebound in 2026: Willi Castro

The only position player free agent the Rockies signed to a major league deal, Willi Castro, projects to be the regular at second base. He’ll get his chances to move around a little bit, but after struggling in a part-time role with the Chicago Cubs to close out the 2025 season, he’s back in a starting role with Colorado and there is optimism.

Castro had an excellent performance in Cactus League play as well as with Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Castro is a model base runner and could be the epitome of the type of player they hope will take this club to the next level. He isn’t far removed from an All-Star season, and a fresh start in Colorado could get him back to that level of production.

Team Rookie of the Year: T.J. Rumfield

The best “feel-good” story from camp has to be the fact that T.J. Rumfield earned his spot with the Rockies for Opening Day. After having his path blocked in New York, Rumfield came over to the Rockies in a trade and lived up to the opportunity.

He was named the recipient of the Abby Greer Award, an honor bestowed on the Rockies’ spring MVP, and has a chance to do some great things this season. The front office is hoping not to have to rely on rookies out of desperation as they did in 2025, so Rumfield coming into camp and earning his keep is a nice development.

If he can stay on the roster throughout the season and find a way to be a productive member of the lineup, he’ll easily be the Rookie of the Year for the team and perhaps even a candidate for the National League.

Team Cy Young: Kyle Freeland

In a sense, Kyle Freeland earns this early designation by default.

If things go according to plan, there’s a chance none of the three veteran free agents could be on this team beyond the deadline. Ryan Feltner and Chase Dollander have the talent but need to take big steps forward, while other options — including a mix of prospects in Triple-A — are primed for a second-half appearance.

Freeland has been a rock of this rotation for a long while and is entering his 10th season with the Rockies. He is in the final guaranteed year of his contract with a vesting option for 2027 that becomes guaranteed if he tosses 170 innings, so a fantastic year could do a lot for him personally.

Team Reliever of the Year: Zach Agnos

The bullpen will have an interesting mix heading into the season, but one addition that may be able to rise above the rest by season’s end is Zach Agnos. The righty started off strong after his debut in early 2025, but after landing on the bereavement list following the death of his grandfather, whom he was very close to, Agnos struggled to settle himself the rest of the year between the majors and Triple-A.

Refocused and determined, Agnos entered camp with a new pitch and has looked phenomenal on the mound. The Rockies aren’t expected to use much in the way of a standard closer at the start of the season, but Agnos could find himself in some big situations.

Biggest Surprise: Tomoyuki Sugano

When the Rockies signed Tomoyuki Sugano it raised quite a few eyebrows. Why would a team that plays 81 games at Coors Field want to signed an aged arm that led the league in home runs allowed last season? Well, the team valued his experience, his ability to manipulate the ball, and his capabilities of pounding the zone.

Between his start in the WBC and couple of appearances in spring training, Sugano has shown what could make him successful. He knows home runs were an issue last season, and he is entering a difficult environment, but there is a determination and maturity that will enable him to have a solid season with the Rockies, whether it’s for the whole year or just half the season.

Most Likely to be an All-Star: Brenton Doyle

This could easily go to Ezequiel Tovar, but for the sake of variety let’s talk about Brenton Doyle.

After a breakout 2024 campaign, injury and personal tragedy hindered Doyle in 2025. He began to return to form in the latter half of the season, leaving him in a good position to break out further in 2026. Doyle’s defense will always be a calling card but if he bring a consistent approach out the gate and find his power, there is a strong chance he can be a representative for the Rockies at the All-Star Game.

He may not make much headway in the popular vote if he is in a position to do so, but joining the ranks of the many All-Star outfielders in franchise history would be a huge accomplishment.

Breakout Candidate: Kyle Karros

Kyle Karros showed off plenty of what could make him a great player in his brief spell with the big league club last season. Entering spring training, however, he was adamant that no one was going to take the third base job away from him. Making sure he was physically ready for the demand, Karros delivered a standout performance at the plate in Cactus League play. He’s already proven capable of playing at a Gold Glove-caliber level in the field, but if he can settle in offensively at the plate and continue to lace line drives, Karros can be on his way to living up to his goal of being one of the best third baseman in franchise history.

Team MVP: Ezequiel Tovar

A return to form for Ezequiel Tovar would be a huge boon for the Rockies. Injuries plagued him last season, and he never found a rhythm. We saw hints of some of the offensive growth, but things just fell apart in 2025. This year, Tovar delivered a standout performance with Venezeula in the WBC and didn’t seem to miss a beat when he returned to Rockies camp. With a new front office and coaching staff in place, 2026 is the chance for Tovar to finally live up to the lofty expectations that led the team to sign him to a long-term extension and become the superstar they so desperately need.

Rockies Update from Paul DePodesta | Rockies Newsletter

President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta shared a quick message as the regular season gets underway.

Marlins’ ‘Machete,’ Rockies ‘Glizzilla’ tops 2026 new ballpark grub | ESPN.com

A new season means plenty of new food concoctions around the league. The Rockies are introducing a two-foot hot dog and a giant cinnamon roll, and the 9-9-9 challenge is also making its way to Coors Field.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

It’s here, it’s here! Opening Day is upon us, and excluding the All-Star Break pause, we won’t have to deal with another baseball-free day until November. It may just be spring, but the Boys of Summer are back, and it’s time to get excited because starting today, all the stats matter. It’s the best day of the year!

Before we get into all the excitement of the regular season, we also wanted to touch on one of the sweetest stories from the World Baseball Classic. Ondrej Satoria, the Czech pitcher who defied the odds and toppled some of the best batters in baseball, made waves especially because he wasn’t even a full-time athlete: he’s an electrician. The everyman story captured peoples’ attention and made him a bit of a hero to audiences, and he’s finally speaking about the experience. When he spoke about his final outing against Team Japan, he said:

“In my eyes, it’s as valuable as the Olympics, because it’s only once every four years. It’s a fully professional world championship. The team has to qualify, and there you get to face players you usually only watch on TV, which is the most magical thing for us. We can shake hands with them on the field, and for us amateurs, that’s the best part.”

He also spoke specifically about striking out Shohei Ohtani, perhaps the most famous player in the world:

“It changed my life quite a bit, because it got me noticed, and it also put Czech baseball on the map. That’s really thanks to this. Of course, it’s something I’ll always remember fondly. I’m glad it’s on video, so if anyone ever doubts it, I can prove it. I have the ball from that strikeout on my shelf at home. But still, the most important thing for me is the medal from the European Championship, which I always carry with me… I wouldn’t call myself a legend, but unfortunately, everyone else does. I guess I just have to accept it.”

It was a really sweet interview, and a reminder of the importance of an event like the World Baseball Classic which can create excitement about baseball in countries where it isn’t as popular. Read more here.

Let’s get into the rest of today’s news!

• Davy Andrews reports that the Phillies are really committed to Crisopher Sanchez, extending his extension.
• A quick explainer on the Opening Night game on Netflix, and how to watch the game. (MLB)
• Theo DeRosa tries to predict who will take home the big awards of 2026.
• Ryan Phillips rounds up nine players who are poised to be the next big thing in baseball.
• Mound visits usually aren’t heartwarming, but this Skip Schumaker trip to the bump was a Spring Training highlight. Story by Stephen Douglas.
• Frank Thomas is suing the Chicago White Sox over the unauthorized use of his likeness. Story by Dan Hajducky.
• Brittany Ghiroli shares the story of a whistleblower within the Tigers’ organization being dismissed for calling out the very workplace concerns the team expressed wanting to hear about. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Nothing to worry about here from a starting pitcher…

• Ben Clemens looks at the positional power rankings for starting pitchers.
• Meanwhile, Dan Szymborksi looks at potential boom and bust candidates for starters in 2026.
• David Adler looks at the Spring Training stats that actually matter.
• Sarah Langs shares which players could be hitting major milestones this coming season.
• Karl Rasmussen ranks all 30 starting rotations.
• Kyle Koster looks at which teams are spending the most, and which players are earning the biggest paydays.
• Jayson Stark wonders how much we should care about how imperfect robot umpires are. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Quite possibly the strangest way he could have phrased this question.

• Michael Baumann wonders if the Braves are finally running out of pitchers.
• Sam Dykstra spotlights hot prospect Kevin McGonigle, who had made the Opening Day roster for the Detroit Tigers.
• Ryan Phillips explains why the Tigers got it right by including McGoningle on their Opening Day roster.
• A Mets’ announcer shares his disappointment about missing the postseason. Story by Jimmy Traina.
• Ranking all 30 teams going into the 2026 season. (ESPN)
• Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal share that there are potential risks to base coaches regarding a new rule meant to help eliminate pitch tipping. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Guess I know what I’m reading next.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.

The Detroit Tigers have generally maintained a policy of not playing any of their prep draft picks until the following year, and so the Spring Breakout games each spring have become a sort of coming out party for the next wave of prospects each March. This year we saw Jordan Yost, Michael Oliveto, and Cris Rodriguez in the teenagers’ first televised showcase. Of course, Yost had already announced himself by popping over to Tampa to join the Tigers for a game and crunching a grand slam in his first at-bat. 2024 first rounder Bryce Rainer set a bit of a precedent with a jaw dropping pro debut in the 2025 Spring Breakout game. An injury spoiled much of his pro debut campaign at Single-A Lakeland, but Rainer is healthy and ready to take over as the Tigers’ top prospect by season’s end.

Rainer starred in high school for Harvard-Westlake HS in North Hollywood. He was actually tracking more like a good pitching prospect who was also a solid shortstop with a cannon hanging from his right shoulder until his junior year when the bat perked up. By his senior year, Rainer was showing off big-time power and much improved contact ability through some swing changes and additional muscle. The Tigers were suitably impressed and happy to sign Rainer for $5,797,500, just slightly overslot as the 11th overall pick in the draft. That was two spots after the Pirates took Konnor Griffin, indicating that often it’s top the top five spots that end up with the most talented player in a draft.

What we knew about Rainer at the time was that he had some developing plate discipline, and potentially plus raw power. He could run, and while not the most athletic shortstop around, his 80 grade arm helped him play a step further back than most to give himself an extra beat on balls in play, and easily make up for it by throwing lasers across the diamond to first base. There were some questions about his contact ability, and some wondered if he’d really add that much raw power to his profile in his late teens and early 20’s, but overall the pick was well regarded. The Tigers strategy of taking athletic, up the middle prep hitters in the first round continues to pay dividends, as Rainer immediately silenced one of those questions.

The first plate appearance we ever saw from Rainer ended with a 113 mph line drive rocket the opposite way for a single. That was his first at-bat in a “real” game since high school. And that at-bat was a sign of things to come as Rainer destroyed fastballs and showed off near 70 grade raw power at times. Combined with his long levers and opposite field tendencies, Corey Seager comparisons became very popular, very quickly in prospect circles.

Even better, Rainer’s agility and footwork were rapidly improved from his high school days. He stalked the left side of the infield making all the plays and showing good reactions and softer hands than expected around second base. And as always, he could fire 90+ mph seeds to first base to record outs even when ranging far in the hole.

It only took a few weeks until Single-A hitters stopped throwing him fastballs over the plate and began dumping heavy amounts of breaking and offspeed in for strikes and then trying to get him to expand the zone when he saw a heater. This is a strategy MLB pitchers are built to execute, but at the Single-A level they weren’t qualified. Of course, Rainer wasn’t yet qualified either. For a week or two, he just started walking a lot more. Eventually, the 19-year-old ultimately couldn’t resist chasing more close pitches as he saw less and less fastballs to hit.

The cat and mouse game didn’t get time to play out. On June 3, Rainer separated his right shoulder diving back to first base on a pickoff play. Technique there might be something the Tigers want to emphasize to prep rookies a little more as both Colt Keith and Carson Rucker suffered similar injuries early in their pro careers. In both cases, throwing velocity took years to return after they rehabbed the shoulder. Rainer and the Tigers probably wisely elected for a surgical repair, and while Rainer has been limited to a DH role in minor league camp, reports that his arm strength has returned have been positive so far.

Rainer is a pretty good sized shortstop, standing 6’3” and probably weighing in a good 15 pounds of muscle more than his listed 195 pounds. He hits from a modest crouch with a high left elbow, and he maintains that elbow as he drops his hands and stretches back to load up before the pitch is released. It’s a bit exaggerated and he probably needs to trim that down to remain quick to high fastballs, but he’s made it work so far, having no issues with velocity in Lakeland. Even with that move, he doesn’t get too steep to the ball and generally has nice natural loft to his swing. The prospect of a plus defensive shortstop with plate discipline, who has posted numerous 113-114 mph balls in play is really tantalizing. He’s still only 20 years old after all and looks even a bit more built this spring in our few looks at him.

The question is the most elemental one of all. Can he translate his good eye for the strike zone into a good eye from breaking and offspeed stuff? He’s had so few at-bats that everyone is just guessing right now, and we’ll just have to see how that plays out over the next few seasons. Based on his batspeed and command of the strike zone, his chances seem pretty good, but that has to be proven. Still, this is an extremely exciting player, and once McGonigle and Clark graduate, Rainer is going to do just fine as the Tigers’ top prospect. Hopefully he has a healthy season and the arm strength is all the way back. If so, we’ll have a better idea of his full potential as a hitter by season’s end.

Look for Rainer to start the season in West Michigan. Jordan Yost will take the shortstop reps in Lakeland, and Rainer showed enough already to promote him to High-A despite not getting nearly as many reps as hoped in his pro debut. Facing a better brand of college pitchers, there may be some struggles early on, but as long as he’s mashing again in the second half, everything will be on track for him to push to Double-A in 2027, and perhaps debut late that year or more likely in 2028 when he’ll be closing in on his 23rd birthday.

The San Francisco Giants are set to make their season debut in a home opening series against the New York Yankees beginning Wednesday, March 25.

It's also the debut for Giants manager Tony Vitello, who's getting his first crack at the major leagues after a successful collegiate baseball coaching career for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Vitello signed a three-year contract with the Giants on Oct. 22, which is reportedly going to pay him $3.5 million annually, according to The SF Standard.

He's the first collegiate coach to make the jump straight to the majors as a manager. It's an honor he doesn't take lightly, especially as he lives out a dream to be a MLB manager.

"As a coach, I was just trying to make my way," Vitello said during an October news conference. "I got thrust into a position at a young age that I probably didn't even deserve, so I was just trying to do a good job, and fortunately it helped get me to the next spot and the next spot and the next spot, and eventually this did become a dream, where I just decided if it was, if I was blessed enough to receive an opportunity, this is something I wanted to do before I was done coaching, in general."

SAN FRANCISCO — Three-time New York Yankees MVP Aaron Judge will be hanging in right field. Home run king Barry Bonds will be sharing his thoughts for the world to hear. Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols will be on a microphone. Future Hall of Famers Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy and Buster Posey will be sitting together in the San Francisco Giants executive suite.

But the most high-powered microscope will be zeroed in on the 47-year-old dude who never played a professional baseball game, never managed a professional baseball game, and has never even attended an opening day game.

Tony Vitello will make baseball history by becoming the first person to ever manage a major-league game directly out of college with zero professional experience.

The San Francisco Giants' new manager will be baseball’s guinea pig for the 2026 season, which could either open the floodgates for collegiate coaches to fill MLB vacancies – or close the door for any organization to ever consider such an idea again.

“Well," Vitello says, “I’m ready.

“I’ve got no other choice at this point, right?’’

Vitello, who coached at Tennessee, winning the 2024 national championship, looks into your eyes and won’t lie to you. He’s going to be nervous. He’s used to big games being against LSU on Friday nights on the SEC Network. Now, he’s facing baseball’s most historic franchise, with 27 World Series championships and Hall of Fame alumni from Ruth to Gehrig to DiMaggio to Berra to Mantle to Jeter to Judge.

So, you can imagine the national uproar with one lineup malfunction, a wrong pinch-hitting move, a bullpen blunder or a slip-up in a mid-game interview?

There will be millions of keyboard warriors waiting to pounce.

“I’ll be ready," Vitello says. “People critique, and when your pay for your ticket, that’s what you get to do. Or even if you're in our dugout, you're allowed to have second thoughts on anything. But the one thing I'll say is any decision we make is going to be a group effort, and there will be no stone left unturned prior to doing it.

“Whatever it is we choose to do, we're going full steam ahead, and I take responsibility from this point on. Ultimately, I have the final say, so that’s on me, but I love that I can rely on my guys."

'We couldn't be happier'

The Giants front office, who believed they’d rather have an unproven collegiate coach than hiring back Bochy, bringing in former Cubs manager Joe Maddon or David Ross, or giving recently fired Brandon Hyde or Davey Martinez another shot, know they’ve opened themselves up for ridicule.

They are paying more for a manager than any team in history, with $3.5 million paid directly to Vitello, $3 million to Tennessee for the buyout, and $4 million to Bob Melvin, who was fired.

Yet, instead of being anxious about their decision, the Giants left their Scottsdale, Arizona spring training complex convinced more than ever that they made the right move.

“I've been fortunate to be around some great managers," Giants GM Zack Minasian tells USA TODAY Sports, “from Johnny Oates to Buck Showalter to Melvin to Bobby Valentine to Boch. But watching Tony on the field during drills this spring is something different than I’ve ever seen. He makes it a lot of fun for the players. He just brings so much energy each and every day, and it’s something intentional.

“We want people excited walking into the doors in the clubhouse every day and I feel like so many people are and in a great frame of mind. I really think our players, our staff, are having fun. It’s fun to be around.

“Really, we couldn’t be happier."

There was so much outside noise about how the players may respond to a manager with zero experience, but the Giants haven't had internal complaints.

“It’s been an extremely seamless transition," Minasian says. “He’s been really able to build relationships quickly. The one thing I wasn't expecting is just how well connected he is to so many different people in professional baseball. You hear a lot, obviously, about him being the first manager to make the jump. And you assume that maybe they don't have the contacts that maybe someone else who had been in professional baseball for a long time would have. And he has just a huge address book that's full of people who have been in professional baseball a long time, from executives to agents to players.

“When we're having conversations about different possibilities, we've got a pretty good way to go and get information to help us."

There wasn’t a time a player publicly questioned anything Vitello tried, whether it was having the entire team involved in infield drills, having piercing noise blaring over the stadium loudspeakers during pop-ups to resemble a hostile crowd crowd, or watching Vitello taking grounders as if he’s one of the boys.

“It’s definitely different," Giants veteran backup catcher Eric Haase says. “Overall, he’s really brought in good energy, unmatched energy. He also has a very acute attention to detail. He’s got his hands in everything, but he’s given us a lot of freedom to have the clubhouse be our clubhouse. The guys have really gravitated towards Tony, and I’m excited to see what it looks like during the year."