MILWAUKEE — The San Francisco Giants hired Gary Pettis as their third base coach on June 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. The team announced before their Tuesday night game against the Milwaukee Brewers that Pettis would join the staff the following day.
Pettis brings 27 years of coaching experience to the role, including 22 seasons in Major League Baseball. He served as the Houston Astros’ third base coach from 2015 to 2024 and was part of World Series-winning staffs in 2017 and 2022. Earlier in his coaching career, he held first base coaching positions with the Chicago White Sox from 2001 to 2002 and the New York Mets from 2003 to 2004, and served as first base coach for the Texas Rangers from 2007 to 2012 and third base coach from 2013 to 2014.
The Giants had been seeking a permanent replacement after reassigning Hector Borg to a player development role on June 6, 2026. Borg had been named third base coach before the 2026 season but was moved following a controversial call in an eighth-inning play during a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, when he waved Willy Adames home and Adames was thrown out at the plate. Ron Wotus, a special assistant to baseball operations, filled in as interim third base coach during the interim period. Manager Tony Vitello praised Borg upon his reassignment, saying, “One of the hardest working guys we have around, certainly one of the most personable and just high character guys.” Vitello also said the team hoped to name a permanent third base coach well before the end of the season.
Pettis, 68, is a native of Oakland, California, and a five-time Gold Glove outfielder during his playing career. He stole 354 bases as a player for the California Angels, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, and San Diego Padres. He played high school baseball at Castlemont High and college baseball at Laney College, both in Oakland. Among his new colleagues on the Giants’ staff are Ron Washington, the Major League infield coach who managed him with the Rangers, and Dusty Baker, a special advisor to Buster Posey who managed him with the Astros.
As of June 2026, the Giants ranked as the worst base-running team in Major League Baseball according to FanGraphs’ all-encompassing metric. The team had been thrown out on the bases 18 times, tied for the ninth-most in the majors, including seven times at home plate.