BALTIMORE -- On Tuesday morning, Craig Albernaz arrived for his introductory press conference and appeared at ease. The new Orioles manager sat on the dais on the ground floor of the Camden Yards warehouse -- between control owner David Rubenstein and president of baseball operations Mike Elias -- and let his personality shine through.
Albernaz quipped about his own 5-foot-8 frame when Elias noted how managers come in all shapes and sizes. He made faces at Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, seated in the front row in support of his former associate manager, who was hired as Baltimore’s skipper on Oct. 27.
The stars of the show were, naturally, Albernaz’s three kids -- his sons CJ (8 years old) and Norman (6) and his chatty 2-year-old daughter Gigi, who ended up seated on her father’s lap for a chunk of the 45-minute session.
Albernaz even got in on the latest TikTok trend, making a “6-7” joke when asked how many O’s players he’s talked to since getting the job.
“I think I’ve talked to about six, seven of the players,” Albernaz said, motioning his hands up and down. “My kids put me up to it. ... No, I’ve probably reached out to six, seven of them to be honest with you.”
It didn’t take long to see and hear exactly how Albernaz landed this job and why Elias and members of the Orioles’ front office and ownership group quickly zeroed in on their preferred candidate while going through the interview process for the club’s managerial opening.
This is Albernaz -- a baseball lifer with a witty sense of humor who doesn’t take himself too seriously, but also, at the same time, is steadfast about winning and developing his players.
“You meet a lot of impressive people, but sitting down with Craig and hearing the feedback we got from the many other people that interviewed him, it’s clear that this was a really good fit all around,” Elias said. “The places he’s worked, the kind of philosophies that he’s developed -- his personality and his personal style will be a really good fit for what our group needs, but also in this town and in this market. Just an all-around fit, and I was really struck by him once we got done spending the first day with him.”
“He’s very impressive -- despite his accent,” Rubenstein added, poking fun at Albernaz’s thick New Englander tone. “We think he can learn to speak Baltimore-ese.”
A former Minor League catcher, Albernaz never made it to the big leagues as a player. But his career as a coach has accelerated quickly over the past decade. He was the Giants’ bullpen and catching coach from 2020-23, before serving as Vogt’s right-hand man in Cleveland the past two years -- as bench coach in ‘24, then as associate manager in ‘25.
Albernaz had been a candidate for MLB managerial openings before. Last year, he was a finalist for both the White Sox and Marlins jobs, then took himself out of the running, opting instead to spend another year in Cleveland alongside Vogt, his close friend and confidant.
So, what made the Orioles different? Why did Albernaz feel this was the place and time to begin his big league managerial career?
“It’s a big job, and I wanted to make sure that whatever organization I go to I was really ready to jump in and dive in,” Albernaz said. “Going through the process with Mike and meeting David and the rest of the team and the front office, to me, it was an easy decision. ... As you go through it, the clarity just became true that I want to be in Baltimore, be a Baltimore Oriole and be in this organization and be in that dugout with this group of players.”
Although the O’s went 75-87 while finishing in last place in the American League East in 2025 -- a disappointing showing after back-to-back postseason appearances the previous two years -- there’s a strong internal belief that ‘26 will be an immediate return to form. Elias has stated multiple times that he thinks the team should perform better next season.
After all, strong pieces are still in place with a core featuring Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and more.
That’s why Albernaz is also optimistic he can lead Baltimore to success in 2026.
“The talent just jumps right out at you. Even playing them this year, like yeah, it was a down year, a lot of injuries, but the talent up and down the roster is impressive,” Albernaz said. “They can perform better in their eyes. It’s great to see the work that they’ll put in in the offseason, and we’ll come out and next year really take on that challenge.”
Albernaz is excited for the task. So is his family -- perhaps none more so than Gigi, as the toddler asked one of her older brothers to hand her a stuffed Oriole Bird while Albernaz fielded questions and provided answers that should have brought optimism to fans around Baltimore.
The manager’s seat belongs to Albernaz, who continues to impress while saying and doing all the right things. Now, it’s time for the 21st skipper in O’s history to get to work.
“When you start coaching, you don’t think about being a big league manager. At least I didn’t,” Albernaz said. “But as you navigate your relationships, navigate certain teams and you can kind of see that’s something that you want to do -- the ability to run a team, and to do it in such a historic franchise as the Baltimore Orioles -- it really is a dream come true. I just can’t wait.”