A Latinx-inspired jersey and new food and drink offerings were in the spotlight at Oracle Park as the San Francisco Giants’ season unofficially kicked off during their annual Media Open House Wednesday afternoon.
Puro Bay Ball is the team’s new Spanish marketing campaign inspired by the Bay Area’s Latinx community, one of many Latinx initiatives the team has in store for this season. Through symbols of pride, identity and the spirit of the Latino community, Puro Bay Ball will look to strengthen that connection with Giants baseball.
The campaign coincides with a new black Gigantes jersey that will be worn for every Saturday home game, but its on-field debut will come next week as the Giants play a two-game exhibition with Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League.
Former Giants closer pitcher and three-time World Series champion Sergio Romo was on hand to model the jersey, serving as an ambassador for Puro Bay Ball.
“The Giants approached me with an opportunity to not just represent myself and my own culture, my own Latino background, but also represent something that can be pretty impactful here in the city, especially the Bay as a whole,” Romo said. “There’s a big Latino community here in the Bay. It’s just kind of another way to express and show that culture.”
Romo’s excitement came through while speaking about the new Puro Bay Ball initiative.
Sergio Romo and Rachel Heit present the San Francisco Giants’ new Gigantes jersey during the media open house at Oracle Park on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (Haley Abarca / Golden Gate Xpress)
“It’s something that I’ve kinda done and shared throughout my whole career and I still continue to share it, how proud I am to be Mexicano and how proud I am to have that Latino blood running through my veins,” said Romo.
On the field, the Giants look to bounce back from a 2025 season where they finished 81-81, third in the National League West division. The team looks to get into the postseason for the first time since 2021 with the additions of MLB veterans Luis Arráez, Harrison Bader and Tyler Mahle. New Giants manager Tony Vitello will make his professional managerial debut this season, having made the jump from the University of Tennessee, an unprecedented move in baseball.
“It’s his first season at the helm and having spent time at Spring Training, [he brings] huge energy, great communication and we feel really good about what Tony brings to the organization,” said Larry Baer, Giants President and CEO.
Christian Montano, a history major from Daly City, sees a postseason birth being the main goal for the Giants this season.
“I think the past few years have been a little rough,” Montano said. “We’ve had a few chances, for sure, but I think mostly at least one playoff series won’t hurt.”
Montano attended a handful of Giants games at Oracle Park the past few seasons and enjoys the crabcake sandwich and garlic fries that the ballpark is known for. This season, fans can expect more variety at the concession booth, including the Peruchín Sandwich, which will include jerk chicken, plantain and red cabbage slaw, named after Giants Hall of Fame first baseman Orlando Cepeda, and a birria loaded grilled cheese sandwich. The food debuted at the Media Open House event, drawing in crowds of hungry fans.
The team also displayed promotions for the upcoming season. For San Francisco State University night on Tuesday, April 7, an exclusive Giants and SFSU roped hat will be handed out for those with a special event ticket. Bobbleheads for star players Willy Adames, Rafael Devers, Jung Hoo Lee and even Grogu from Star Wars will be handed out this season as well as numerous pieces of clothing ranging from jerseys to hats.
A San Francisco State University themed San Francisco Giants baseball hat, one of the many themed giveaways this upcoming season, is displayed at Oracle Park on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (Haley Abarca / Golden Gate Xpress)
Another reveal was the announcement of former World Series winning Giants Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Joe Panik, Brandon Crawford and Pablo Sandoval being inducted into the Giants Wall of Fame. The inductees played a key part in the team’s 2014 championship victory and will be honored on Saturday, August 8 with an on-field ceremony.
Through the Giants’ Mission Rock project, the team has also been able to create a space for fans and the San Francisco community. Giants Chief Operations & Experience Officer Alfonso Felder is excited with more businesses opening up within the developed space that was once a parking lot.
“It’s really gratifying to see the community coming together and embracing the spaces that we’ve created around the building in Mission Rock,” Felder said. “This year, we really look forward to fans being able to embrace that space and get to discover the spaces around the ballpark that we’ve been able to create.”
Since its opening in 2000, Oracle Park has been viewed by many as one of the best ballparks in baseball. With such a stature, it tends to attract both diehard fans and wallflowers alike.
Kayleen Ruiz is a master’s student in the University of California San Francisco Graduate Program in Physical Therapy. Ruiz has gone to many Giants games in her life as a way for her to bond with her parents and siblings when they all used to live in the Bay Area. The last game she attended was in July 2025, but she is looking forward to when the Minnesota Twins come to San Francisco in late September as her mom is a native Minnesotan.
“I’m excited to do something other than study,” Ruiz said. “So if that means going with my cohort to a baseball game, then that’s gonna be fun.”
The Giants will start their season at home for just the second time since 2010, as they welcome the New York Yankees next Wednesday evening at 5:05 p.m. The game will be exclusively broadcasted on Netflix, in part of a three-year media rights agreement with the MLB.