Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in a Major League Baseball game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians.
Nakken made history in 2022 when she stepped in as first-base coach after a coach was ejected. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken started with the Giants in 2014 and became a full-time coach on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, making her the first woman to hold such a position in the majors.
Nakken has been hired by the Guardians as an assistant director in player development. Cleveland, under first-year manager Stephen Vogt, won the AL Central last season, and Vogt was named AL Manager of the Year.
In her new role with the Guardians, the 34-year-old Nakken will work alongside former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa.
“Nak is a systematic executor of processes and a thoughtful communicator,” Correa said in a text message on Friday night. “When you combine her skill set with the unique experiences she’s had over the course of her career, it makes her a perfect fit for our player development system. I’m really looking forward to being her teammate again.”
Nakken’s specific duties are still being decided. She became a first-time mom earlier this year when she welcomed her daughter, Austyn, and did not travel full-time with manager Bob Melvin’s staff.
“We thank Alyssa Nakken for her incredible contributions to the San Francisco Giants and for trailblazing a path for women in sports,” the Giants said in a statement on Friday.
“Her leadership, dedication, and passion for the game have inspired countless individuals, and her impact has been truly transformative for the Giants organization and the baseball community.
“As she begins this exciting new chapter in her career, we have no doubt that she’ll continue to inspire and achieve great things. We wish her and her family nothing but the best.”
Nakken is the second female coach hired by the Guardians for an on-field role. In 2023, Cleveland hired Amanda Kamekona as its hitting development coach for its year-round training academy in Goodyear, Arizona.
Last season, Kamekona served as an assistant hitting coach at Double-A Akron. She was a two-time third-team All-American at UCLA after transferring from Cal State Fullerton.
