MLB
MLB: Who are the American and National League finalists for Manager of the Year?
Bruce Bochy came back from retirement to win a World Series and become the sixth manager to win four Major League titles.
Ever since 1983, Major League Baseball has awarded a prize at the end of the season for the Manager of the Year. The winners are selected via a vote of 30 members from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. So, here are the finalists for the 2023 MLB award:
American finalists for Manager of the Year
Bruce Bochy, Texas Rangers
Bochy made history when the Texas Rangers were crowned MLB champions after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks: he became only the sixth manager of the Major Leagues to win at least 4 World Series. The 68-year-old came out of retirement to guide the Texans and increase the list of trophies on his resumé. If he wins the award it will be the second of his career: he won the first and so far only Manager of the Year back in 1996 while in charge of the San Diego Padres.
Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays
The AL East was one of the most memorable and competitive ever seen in the regular season and the Rays, managed by Cash, finished in second position. The manager guided his team to 99 wins although they were eliminated in the Wild Card Series by the Texas Rangers and the aforementioned Bruce Bochy.
Brandon Hyde, Baltimore Orioles
The only team from the Youth Circuit that managed to reach a century of wins was the one led by Brandon Hyde, the Baltimore Orioles. The AL East champions won 28 more games than in 2022, but were eliminated in the Divisional Series by the Rangers.
National League finalists for Manager of the Year
Craig Counsell, Milwaukee Brewers
Counsell had a splendid season with the Brewers and took them all the way to winning the Central Division of the National League with a record of 92-70. This earned him the highest salary for a major league manager for the Chicago Cubs.
Skip Schumaker, Miami Marlins
Schumaker made his debut as a coach in the major leagues with the Miami Marlins and managed to qualify the South Florida side to the post-season with a 84-78 record. Unfortunately, his team lost in the Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Brian Snitker, Atlanta Braves
The Braves signed off the best record of the regular season, winning 104 games under the guidance of Snitker to make it two consecutive campaigns winning over a century of matches. Next season will be Snitker’s eighth with Atlanta, so he certainly knows the team well enough to continue the good work.