Alyssa Nakken, the first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaves the Giants to join the Guardians

Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in Major League Baseball, will leave the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians.

Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach after being ejected. Nakken, a former Sacramento State softball player, joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, making her the majors’ first full-time female coach.

Nakken has been hired as an assistant director of player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt (AL Manager of the Year).

With Cleveland, the 34-year-old Nakken will collaborate with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa.

“Nak is a systematic executor of processes and a thoughtful communicator,” Correa said via text message 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 exact responsibilities are currently being decided. She became a first-time mother to daughter Austyn earlier this year and did not travel full-time for manager Bob Melvin’s team.

“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 embarks on 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.”

The Guardians have hired Nakken as their second on-field female coach. In 2023, Cleveland hired Amanda Kamekona as hitting development coach for its year-round training academy in Goodyear, Arizona.

She worked last season as an assistant hitting coach for Double-A Akron. After transferring from Cal State Fullerton, Kamekona earned two third-team All-American honors at UCLA.

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