Will Venable and Pat Murphy have been officially named the 2026 American League and National League Managers of the Year, respectively. Venable, in his second season helming the Chicago White Sox, secured the AL honor with a commanding 15 first-place votes, 11 second-place votes, and three third-place votes. His victory was narrow yet decisive against Kevin Cash of the Tampa Bay Rays, who tallied 12 first-place and 12 second-place votes along with two third-place selections.
White Sox skipper edges Rays’ Cash in tight AL race as Rangers’ Schumaker absent from ballots
The voting results highlighted a crowded field in the American League, where former minor leaguer Chad Tracy finished third after replacing Alex Cora as Boston Red Sox manager early in the campaign. Tracy’s ballot performance was statistically unusual, garnering three first-place votes, five second-place votes, and a significant 17 third-place votes. Other notable candidates on the ballots included Stephen Vogt, Aaron Boone, and Joe Espada. Notably, Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker did not appear on any ballots, signaling a lack of consensus regarding his team’s performance relative to expectations.
The Manager of the Year award traditionally favors leaders of teams that exceed expectations, often with bonus consideration for low-payroll clubs. Venable’s win was not unanimous, as Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, one of two representatives from the New York chapter voting for the AL award, omitted him from his ballot. Kuty instead selected Cash, Boone, and Tracy, reflecting the subjective nature of the award and the intense competition among top-tier managers in the 2026 season.
Source: Yahoo Sports
