Ex-NCAA head coach Tony Vitello has a knack for headline-grabbing analogies. But the San Francisco Giants‘ rookie manager’s latest one involving Tiger Woods created an instantly awkward moment he couldn’t walk back.

After making an analogy with Kanye West, Vitello has come out and compared Rafael Devers to Tiger Woods. On any other day, this analogy would have gone well, but at the current moment, maybe not.

“Rafi, I mentioned golf, you know, Tiger, oh, I guess bad timing,” Vitello said, and stopped himself from continuing the sentence. And then the first-time MLB skipper shared some awkward laughs with the reporters.

Why? Tiger Woods has not been on the right side of the news for the past few days.

Tony Vitello had to pause while comparing Rafael Devers and Tiger Woods after recent developments with the golfer. This pause was the result of the arrest of Woods on March 27 after a rollover crash in Jupiter Island, Florida.

Woods faced misdemeanor DUI and property damage charges. Later on, a reckless driving allegation was added as well.

Vitello initially tried praising Devers for emotional control during games and making an impact in high-leverage situations. This comment came after the 7-2 win over the New York Mets, where Rafael Devers hit his first homer of 2026. Vitello explained that Devers gets fired up, then calms quickly, showing maturity and keeping a cool head.

That comparison is linked to Woods, known for visible intensity followed by quick resets during rounds.

But the major pressure Rafael Devers faces comes from the value of his contract.

With a $313M deal hanging over his head, it adds extra pressure on the player. Devers has just seven hits in his 27 at-bats.

But this isn’t the first time Tony Vitello has made such a statement.

Vitello, who made a historic direct jump to MLB without prior professional coaching experience, recently made a Kanye reference. This was following his first managerial win in MLB against the San Diego Padres, and after the Yankees swept them.

Tony Vitello referenced Kanye West, “I just think there’s been an emotional charge of really wanting to do well. If you ask Kanye — I think he’s out with a new album — if you try hard, you die hard.”

Meanwhile, Devers’ hitting a homer doesn’t solve the problems. If the Giants want to win the series over the Mets, they will need to fix a few more things.

The problems the Giants will have to solve moving forward

Rafael Devers’ homer might be the start of something great for him. But the offense of the San Francisco Giants went missing big time in the first three games of the season.

Against the Yankees, the Giants got shut out in the first two games and only scored a run in the third.

However, they have picked up pace since then, and are now standing at 3-4.

Despite solid pitching, the offense failed to support the rotation and the bullpen. The added pressure on the team is to break the .500 record in the season.

For the past few seasons, the Giants have not gone over .500. For reference, in 2023, they finished four games under with a record of 79-83. However, in 2024 and 2025, there was improvement as they finished two games under and exactly at .500, respectively.

But with how the season is progressing, the Giants might need to worry a bit more than usual.

Six of the Giants’ batters have an average below .190 until now. This means that they are barely contributing to the team. And all this boils down to Rafael Devers and whether he can spark a fire in the clubhouse.

But offense is not the only issue, as defensive mistakes are also costing them.

In the 7-1 loss to the Padres, two runs were scored as a result of errors involving Matt Chapman and Casey Schmitt. The team also continues struggling against left-handed pitching, hitting .214 against lefties.

If these issues remain, securing a second straight series win, especially going against the Mets, will become increasingly difficult.