Why Giants’ Kapler sees Alyssa Nakken as a future MLB manager
When Buster Posey and other Giants players proclaimed last spring training their goal was to win the National League West, everyone in the organization took notice.
That included the front office, coaching staff and beyond. Alyssa Nakken, in her second year as a Giants coach, remembered the goal “serving as a North Star for us,” a basis for all the work and success that followed.
Posey and Co. wanted to raise the bar after four straight losing seasons and obviously believed it was possible, and folks responded accordingly with results not only seen in the standings with 107 wins, but with the development of the young support staff.
That included Nakken, the first female full-time coach in bigleague history.
“That was constantly on our minds with everything we did and how we prepared to take steps forward toward winning the West,” Nakken said in a Chronicle interview. “With the leadership we have in our veteran players and obviously in Gabe Kapler, I feel that’s where I can thrive the
most, when I’m surrounded by people with those incredible leadership abilities who are extremely humble and driven.
“Those are the footsteps I want to keep taking in this career and into next season, just remaining very humble, consistent in preparation and always looking to
raise the bar for myself and those around me.”
Nakken, 31, was part of a large group of coaches hired before the 2020 season, and when older players expressed their acceptance for the staff’s new ideas and analytic-driven concepts — not to mention a female coach, who
brought a whole different (and refreshing) approach and presence to the team — it became easier for young coaches such as Nakken to operate.
As a result, all grew in their respective roles. Although none is quite ready to assume a bigleague managing gig, some eventually will gain the experience, knowledge and confidence to emerge as candidates. Especially because teams like to poach from teams that flourish on the cutting edge.
Two years after hiring Nakken, a big step — and perceived risk, too, considering the traditionally male-dominated sport — Kapler now says he’s so impressed with her development and potential that he sees her as a possible future manager.
“Alyssa has all the characteristics and all the skills of a person who can lead a major-league staff and lead a major-league team at some point,” Kapler said. “There’s no question in my mind she has every tool necessary to do that at some point.”
“Absolutely,” echoed president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, “especially if that’s something she aspires to.”
Kapler’s declaration that Nakken could manage one day goes a long way to inspire young girls and boys and show how far the baseball world has progressed.
And will continue to progress. Since Nakken took the job, Kim Ng (Marlins) became Ma
jor League Baseball's first female general manager, Sara Goodrum (Brewers) became the first woman to lead a minor-league hitting department and Bianca Smith (Red Sox) became the first African-american woman to work as a professional baseball coach.
Managing isn't on Nakken's mind. She said her only focus as a coach is to “dominate in my responsibilities this organization has given me” while continuing to hone her leadership skills to best assist the players and complement the coaches.
“I'm just trying to be better at what I do every single day, continue to expand my responsibilities,” Nakken said. “For me personally, that's how I grow the most, how I become the most effective coach I could be.
“I don't anticipate changing in that mind-set or work ethic anytime soon. I'm a big fan of taking small steps forward but staying consistent every day. If that leads me down to a managerial path, then that's where it leads me, but right now, my focus is being the best and ultimate teammate for this organization and for Kap.”
The road to inclusivity in Major League Baseball remains long, but it's no longer abnormal for a woman to suit up as a bigleague coach and work and succeed in what once was an environment reserved for men.
“I've never felt more comfortable anywhere than I have in the walls of our clubhouse and dugout,” Nakken said. “These guys are so inspiring and so respectful.”
Nakken embraces her status as a role model for children who see her on TV or at the ballpark and suddenly realize it's something they could pursue.
“I think representation is very important,” Nakken said. “I never thought I could be a coach at the major-league level because it never came to my mind, and it's because I never saw it being done. Now, girls and women and other people see this, I think it sparks something inside of them that maybe they never thought about before.
“I try to think outside of baseball, too,
and wonder what else is out there for so many people, that they just haven't seen that career or path develop yet, and maybe they could take those steps of going somewhere that's never been gone before.”
Girls are becoming more interested in playing baseball. Almost 1,300 girls nationwide, including 418 in California, played high school baseball in 2018-19, the latest available data, pre-pandemic, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Nakken played many sports as a child and was a first baseman on Sacramento State's softball team. She didn't play baseball, but softball — despite the smaller diamond, bigger ball and different pitching delivery — certainly translates.
And, yes, Nakken believes a woman one day will play in the majors.
“Yeah. I think so,” she said. “There's a lot of different paths to take. Girls want to and need to continue to push forward in that and invest and find good coaches and strength coaches and continue to build their skills on the field.
“Naturally, over time, the more girls that play baseball, the competition will get a little stronger. We won't see too many in the near future, but I do anticipate seeing females at the major-league level.”
Nakken was married Nov. 19 to Robert Abel Nakken, who runs a youth baseball program in San Francisco and coaches at St. Ignatius High School. They're both from Woodland High School, and he played baseball at USF, where Nakken later earned her master's in sports management.
Nakken's work with the Giants is wideranging. She assists Antoan Richardson overseeing outfielders and baserunners, and some of her duties involve helping to position outfielders, preparing pinch-hitters and “keeping a pulse on the overall vibe of our team and staff,” according to Kapler.
Nakken also helps with advance work and was on the field before games, like other coaches, available for whatever was needed, including gathering for meetings, feeding the pitching machine, taking cutoffs from outfielders and taking throws at first base from infielders. In down times, she was seen throwing tight spirals to players taking routes in the outfield.
“Alyssa isn't just an excellent coach,” Kapler said, “she's an excellent manager of people.”
As part of Nakken's progression, Zaidi noticed, she was more vocal and assertive in her second year. The evolution is extreme from when she was hired by the Giants in 2014 as a baseball-operations intern and advanced in the front office.
“Knowing what she did in her playing career, the way she was a leader on her college team, and knowing the impact she had on our front office when she started on the business side and then seeing just in two quick years how much credibility she's gained and impact she's made on our major-league team, I view her progression and potential career arc like a lot of young coaching stars early in their careers,” Zaidi said.
“You can see them getting better and more confident every day, and it's exciting to think about what their futures could look like.”