With the 2025 season completed, the Baltimore Orioles finished 75–87, a far cry from their back-to-back 90+ win seasons in 2023 and 2024. Forty-three games into the season the Orioles let go of former Manager of the Year Brandon Hyde and appointed third base coach Tony Mansolino as interim manager for the rest of the season. With the managerial position now reopened, here are a few possible options to fill in as the new skipper for the 2026 season.
Tony Mansolino
Obviously Tony Mansolino will be in the mix for the managerial opening in Baltimore. Since he took over in an interim capacity, the Orioles season changed completely. The team was 15–28 when Mansolino took over from Brandon Hyde, but under Mansolino the team had a winning record of 60–59. In a recent press conference, team president Mike Elias spoke on the possibility of Mansolino’s return in 2026.
“He will be a real candidate, but I expect we are going to talk to other people,” Elias said. Later continuing “It’s not going to be entirely my decision. The different members of the ownership group will be very involved, other members of baseball operation, (president of business operations) Catie Griggs, members of her side of the organization I’m sure will be involved.”
Buck Britton
The older brother of former Oriole closer Zack Britton, Buck has been with the organization as a coach since 2017. He started as a hitting coach for the Delmarva Shorebirds. Britton then became manager of the Single-A affiliate in 2018 and was then promoted to manage Double-A Bowie in 2019. In 2022 he was moved to Triple-A to manage the Norfolk Tides and then in 2025 he was added to the big league coaching staff. After Brandon Hyde’s excusal from the team, Britton was a candidate for the interim position, but eventually became the third base coach under interim manager Tony Mansolino.
While Britton has no big league managerial experience, he has been a quick riser through the organization and has a relationship with the young core of stars in Baltimore. Having managed the likes of Gunnar Henderson, Samuel Basallo, Adley Rutschman, and Jordan Westburg in Triple-A, he would have the support of the locker room instantly. Additionally, keeping it in house would allow for an easier turnaround with staff and less time learning the ropes of the organization.
Brian Snitker
The Orioles will likely be looking for a serial winner in their managerial search. Someone with a track record as impressive as Brian Snitker’s will be very appealing to the Orioles’ front office. A manager with a winning pedigree like Snitker’s would give the club an edge in 2026 that was severely lacking for most of 2025.
The Atlanta Braves decided to part ways with Snitker after 10 years in charge of the club. During that time Snitker finished in the top five in Manager of the Year voting six times. He also took home a World Series ring in 2021 as well as six consecutive division titles between 2018 and 2023. Snitker boasts an impressive winning percentage of .548 career, only having losing seasons two times when he was in charge for the full season.
Many teams with managerial openings will likely approach Snitker, so the Orioles will certainly face competition to hire the soon-to-be 70-year-old.
Ryan Flaherty
An appealing first-time manager would be Chicago Cubs’ current bench coach Ryan Flaherty. He has been a rising star in coaching since his retirement from playing in 2019. He started as an advanced scout for the San Diego Padres in 2019 and quickly became acting manager for the big league club by 2022 when their manager at the time, Bob Melvin, entered COVID-19 protocol. After Melvin and the Padres parted ways, the team interviewed Flaherty for their managerial opening before ultimately hiring Mike Schildt. He has since joined the Cubs as bench coach under Craig Counsell.
Flaherty, a former Oriole utility infielder for the first six years of his career has become a well-regarded figure in the coaching realm since he arrived on the scene. The fans would certainly support him if he took over as skipper in 2026, and his youth would greatly strengthen his relationships with the team’s younger core.
While fans may be clamoring for a manager with more pedigree, Flaherty’s experience in winning organizations will certainly bolster his chances.
Matt Wieters
While Matt Wieters has not held an official coaching job in Major or Minor League Baseball since his retirement from playing, he has been gaining traction in the Orioles managerial search. During this past year’s Spring Training, Wieters was in Sarasota as a guest instructor for the Orioles. While he has no professional coaching experience, Wieters has been working as a student assistant coach at Georgia Tech while finishing his degree.
Wieters, a former fifth overall pick by the Orioles in 2007, spent eight of his twelve big league seasons in Baltimore. Accruing four All-Star game appearances, two Gold Gloves, and even getting MVP votes in 2012. Additionally, Wieters was a part of some of the winningest teams in recent Oriole history, including the 2014 team that lost in the ALCS to the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals.
While he is certainly a wild card choice to get the job in 2026, the fans and players would certainly be behind him and his ability to mentor young star catchers like Rutschman and Basallo would be impossible to overstate.
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