Giants part ways with coaches Gavin Alston, Damon Minor; Pat Burrell ‘unlikely’ to return to MLB staff
The Giants’ coaching staff continues to undergo an overhaul, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Shayna Rubin and Susan Slusser report assistant hitting coach Damon Minor and bullpen coach Gavin Alston Will not be part of the 2026 staff. batting coach Pat Burrell It’s also “unlikely to become part of the major league staff,” but he will remain with the organization in another capacity.
Alston has served as the bullpen coach the past two seasons and will serve as the pitching coach for the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate from 2021-23. Prior to arriving in San Francisco, Alston served as the Twins’ pitching coach in 2018, the Diamondbacks’ bullpen coach in 2016, the Athletics’ bullpen coach in 2017, and served in various minor league coaching and coordinator roles with the A’s from 2005-15.
Minor will leave his position after just one season, but his time with the Giants stretches back a full decade thanks to his nine years as hitting coach at Triple-A Sacramento. It’s unclear if Minor can still be retained in a different capacity or if the Giants will leave entirely.
If Burrell also leaves, assistant hitting coach Oscar Bernard will be the only remaining member of the hitting coaching trio. “Pat Bat” was the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft, and his 12-year career ended with two seasons with the Giants (and a championship ring as part of the 2010 World Series roster). After retiring, he stayed with the Giants as a special scout and began the 2020 season as a hitting coach at A-level San Jose.
In 2025, San Francisco hitters combined for a .235/.311/.386 batting average and a 97 wRC+, which ranked 17th among 30 major league teams. Likewise, the Giants finished below league average in all three slash categories, ranking 19th in homers (173). While the challenges of hitting at Oracle Park are well known, the expectations for the Giants lineup are even higher Willie Adams last winter, and Raphael Devers In the middle of the season.
Bottom line numbers aren’t always the reason a team might make a coaching change, but the Giants’ decision to part ways with Alston is unusual because the team’s bullpen is a strength in 2025. Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers Despite being traded at the trade deadline, San Francisco finished the season with the fourth-best bullpen ERA in baseball (3.48). One weakness of the bullpen, however, is the lack of strikeouts, with the relievers’ 21% strikeout rate ranking 25th in the league. Of course, this isn’t necessarily a knock on Alston’s work, and if anything, it can be seen as a positive, as he was able to get strong results from a pen that didn’t miss many at-bats.
A change in the front office usually leads to a change in the coaching staff, so it’s no surprise that a number of new personnel will be joining Tony Vitlow as fresh faces in San Francisco’s dugout. Burrell, Minor and Alston join JP Martinez, Ryan Christensenand Matt Williams Staff left as coaches. Martinez will transition from the Giants’ pitching coach to the Braves’ bullpen coach, and Christensen will transition from the Giants’ bench coach to the Athletic’s new first base coach. In terms of new coaches, Jess Tingler The only new coach to join the Giants so far, Tingler’s role has yet to be revealed.
