The Giants don’t open spring training for another three weeks, but the team roster expanded overnight with news that assistant coach Alyssa Nakken is a new mom.
Nakken’s husband, Robert Abel, posted Monday night on X/Twitter that “Austyn Brielle Nakken was called up to the show yesterday!” He included pictures and some play-by-play, noting that “Mama Alyssa Nakken was an absolute rockstar and is felling great/healthy.”
Austyn Brielle Nakken was called up to the show yesterday!
🤰🐣⚾️
Mama Alyssa Nakken was an absolute rockstar and is felling great/healthy.
😍🐣🥹
@kaiserpermanente Vacaville team of nurses and doctors were amazing!!
🧡🖤⚾️❤️💙@sfgiants @Alpha_BSB pic.twitter.com/XCfmWuQoQt— Robert A. Nakken (@CoachRobertabel) January 23, 2024
It’s unclear when Alyssa, who is entering her fifth season with the Giants, will arrive at spring training, which begins the middle of next month in Scottsdale, but Austyn might have sped up the timeline. When the couple announced the pregnancy in August, they said the due date was Feb. 9. The Giants’ first Cactus League game is Feb. 24 against the Cubs.
Nakken is the first woman on an MLB coaching staff. This offseason she became the first woman to interview for a MLB managerial job when the Giants held their search to replace Gabe Kapler. The team hired Bob Melvin and the former A’s manager kept Nakken on his staff.
Robert, also a baseball coach who founded the Coach Robert Abel Baseball School (CRABS) in 2019, also gave a shout out to the medical team, writing, “@kaiserpermanente Vacaville team of nurses and doctors were amazing!!”
It was Robert who also broke the news of the couple’s pregnancy via social media. In that post, he proudly proclaimed he’d be a “#GirlDad”.
Baby Nak on the way!
🐣🤰
Due Feb 9th!#GirlDad pic.twitter.com/aT0B5ySkR2— Robert A. Nakken (@CoachRobertabel) August 14, 2023
Alyssa, 33, was a star softball player at Sacramento State and made her MLB debut in 2020 on Kapler first Giants staff. During the 2022 season she became the first woman to coach in an on-field role when she filled in for Antoan Richardson at first base.
Source: www.mercurynews.com