When the Baltimore Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde last season, Tony Mansolino took over a team that had sputtered to a 15-28 record well into May. The interim skipper dragged the club to a 60-59 mark while at the helm, but he made it clear he’s glad to move on from the organization.
“Coming out of the situation I just came from, and I don’t say this lightly, I feel like he kinda rescued me in a lot of ways,” Mansolino said, referring to Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss hiring him as a bench coach. The former Orioles manager delivered the comment during an interview with Chris Dimino of 680 The Fan.
Mansolino had been with the Orioles since 2021, when Hyde hired him as the third base coach. He’s coached at the professional level since 2011. Mansolino was in the mix for the open managerial position this offseason. Baltimore ultimately went with Cleveland Guardians associate manager Craig Albernaz for the gig.
Baltimore Orioles Interim Manager Says He Was ‘Rescued’ From Situation
The Orioles lost 110 games in Mansolino’s first season in the organization. The club finished dead last in the AL East for the fourth time in five years. Baltimore improved significantly in 2022, winning 83 games, but still finished fourth in the division. The real breakthrough came in 2023. The Orioles won 100+ games for the first time since 1980. The team had the best record in the American League, but was easily dispatched in the ALDS via a three-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers.
Baltimore made it back to the playoffs in 2024. The team was once again swept, this time in the Wild Card round, by the Kansas City Royals. The two sweeps extended the Orioles’ postseason victory drought to a decade. The organization hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2014 ALDS against the Detroit Tigers.
Mansolino Lands in Atlanta With World Series Hopeful
The Braves are coming off a difficult season of their own, but the barometer is different in Atlanta. The club had made the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons before falling short in 2025. Atlanta took down the Houston Astros to win the 2021 World Series. Sportsbooks give the Braves the third-best odds in the National League to win the championship, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.
The PECOTA projections at Baseball Prospectus are even more bullish on Atlanta than the betting markets. PECOTA has the Braves winning 91.2 games en route to an NL East title. It’s the second-highest win projection in the NL, again behind the Dodgers.
The PECOTA outlook for Baltimore isn’t as moribund as last season turned out, though it’s more tepid than that of Atlanta. The projections have the Orioles finishing in third place in the AL East with 83.8 wins. PECOTA has the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays in a virtual tie for the division title at 88 wins.
Weiss is taking over for longtime manager Brian Snitker, who stepped down from the role this offseason. Snitker spent 10 years at the top step of the dugout in Atlanta. He went 811-668 in that stretch, including a pair of 100-win seasons and the aforementioned World Series title.
Former Orioles Manager Says Braves ‘Rescued’ Him From Baltimore