{"id":115543,"date":"2026-03-11T21:21:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T01:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=115543"},"modified":"2026-03-11T21:34:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T01:34:25","slug":"padres-craig-stammen-questions-after-pujols-dr-wbc-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/11\/padres-craig-stammen-questions-after-pujols-dr-wbc-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Questions of Padres’ Stammen Hire Emerge Amid Pujols’ DR Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Craig Stammen<\/a> was announced as the new manager of the San Diego Padres, the Friar Faithful were obviously concerned about the first-time skipper<\/a>. He had never managed at the major-league (or any) level.<\/span><\/p>\n

When he retired after the 2022 season, the former relief pitcher was hired by the Padres\u2019 front office as a special assistant. While the role can be a purely honorary title, Stammen was heavily involved with the team.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Search for the New Friars\u2019 Skipper<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After Mike Shildt<\/a> announced his surprise decision to leave San Diego, the Padres were scrambling to find a new manager<\/a>. In the hiring process, three names came forward:<\/span><\/p>\n

Ruben Niebla<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The longtime pitching coach was seriously considered for the role before it eventually fell to Stammen. But Niebla is staying on as pitching coach and will take some form of managerial duties alongside Stammen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nick Hundley<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Former big-league catcher Nick Hundley<\/a> played for the Friars across six seasons before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2014. Since 2022 he\u2019s been the special assistant to the General Manager for the Texas Rangers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Albert Pujols<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The perceived frontrunner of the three, Albert Pujols<\/a> has the obvious pedigree with his (soon-to-be) Hall of Fame career. In 22 seasons, he finished with a .296 career batting average and 703 home runs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, without any managerial experience in the big leagues, Pujols was passed over. His only experience came in managing Leones del Escogido in their LIDOM championship run this past year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Returning to the Manager\u2019s Chair for the World Baseball Classic<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With the Dominican Republic\u2019s incredible success in the group stage of the WBC, it\u2019s worth wondering whether or not Pujols would have been the better choice to lead the Padres over Stammen. His management of Team DR has been one of the best stories of the Classic.<\/span><\/p>\n

The team has started off with a 3-0 record and has scored 10-plus runs in each contest. But it\u2019s tough to say whether or not Pujols has done anything to foster that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With such a star-studded lineup (including Padres\u2019 clubhouse leaders Fernando Tatis Jr.<\/a> and Manny Machado<\/a>), the manager could be anybody, and they\u2019d likely get the job done. But many are asking if the success has come from Pujols, and are further questioning Stammen\u2019s ability to helm San Diego.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols \ud83d\udc4f pic.twitter.com\/Rup5BB7KR0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 8, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n