The hiring is official.

Craig Albernaz is the 21^st manager in Orioles history, with the announcement coming early this afternoon.

News broke late last night that the club was finalizing a deal with Albernaz, who spent the 2024 season as Guardians bench coach and 2025 as associate manager.

“We are elated to welcome Craig Albernaz as the next manager of the Orioles and our leader on the field,” president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias said in a statement. “Craig has built an exemplary career across multiple successful organizations and brings a tremendous amount of experience, knowledge, and talent to our organization and to this new challenge. We believe he is the right person at the right time to elevate our baseball operations and guide our team back to the playoffs and a World Series championship.”

A big leap is required after the Orioles finished in last place this season with a 75-87 record following back-to-back playoff appearances.

Albernaz is a first-time major league manager, the latest for the Orioles after Brandon Hyde and interim Tony Mansolino. Hyde was fired on May 17, Mansolino was promoted from third base coach and infield instructor, and the club went 60-59.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to join the storied Baltimore Orioles organization,” Albernaz, who turns 43 on Thursday, said in the statement. “This is a tremendous honor, and I'm grateful to Mike Elias and the entire Orioles team for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading this talented club.”

Albernaz will be introduced to the media on Nov. 4, with the press conference airing live on MASN. He developed a reputation for connecting with younger players, going back to his stint as bullpen and catching coach for the Giants from 2020-23 and a coach and manager in the Rays’ farm system from 2015-19.

The Massachusetts native went 145-83 in two seasons as a manager at short-season Class A Hudson Valley (2017) and Class A Bowling Green (2018) before serving as minor league field coordinator in 2019. Albernaz also managed Tampa Bay’s instructional league team in 2016.

Albernaz was hitting coach at rookie-level Princeton and Hudson Valley. He began the 2017 season as third base coach and catching instructor with Triple-A Durham before being moved to Hudson Valley as manager and guiding the Renegades to a New York-Penn League championship. The Bulls also won the International League that season, giving Albernaz two rings.

He also earned one in 2018 after leading Bowling Green to the Midwest League championship and winning the Midwest League Manager of the Year award.

Albernaz caught at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., and in the minors for nine seasons, reaching Triple-A as recently as 2013. He threw out 44 percent of runners attempting to steal.

Albernaz and his wife, Genevieve, reside in Bucks County, Pa., with their children CJ (8), Norman (6) and Gigi (2).