Bold predictions for San Francisco Giants' 2026 season

March Madness is rolling in college basketball, but Major League Baseball has its own version of madness in March: roster finalization, anticipation and preparation for a lengthy season — and a series of predictions to go with it . The 2026 MLB season begins with the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees playing at Oracle Park at 5:05 p. m.

PT (8:05 p. m. ET) on March 25.

There's lots for the Giants hopeful to be excited for ahead of the 2026 season, but die-hards might not be so optimistic. San Francisco has a new manager in Tony Vitello , a standout college baseball coach who rose to fame during his eight-year tenure at Tennessee, where he won an NCAA Tournament championship, two SEC Tournament championships and two regular-season titles. It is his first year ever as an MLB manager, the Giants hiring him in October 2025.

With zero MLB experience, the talk is whether Vitello is the answer to the Giants' recent mediocracy, or whether his hire puts a stamp on who they've been the last five years. They didn't make any splash signings, but the Giants front office didn't just sit on their tails and hibernate during the winter. Despite not landing Japanese pitching sensation Tatsuya Imai, losing out on the sweepstakes to the Houston Astros, the Giants still managed to land effective players.