Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable, who helped orchestrate a 24-win year-to-year improvement and guided the team to its first postseason berth since 2021, has been named the American League Manager of the Year, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced on Tuesday. He beat out Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash and Boston Red Sox manager Chad Tracy.
The White Sox went 84-78 in 2026 after going 60-102 in 2025 and a hideous 41-121 in 2024. Those 121 losses are the record in baseball's Modern Era (since 1900). Venable's White Sox are the first team in history to reach the postseason after losing at least 100 games in the previous two seasons (they also lost 101 games in 2023).
The huge steps forward seem to be what secured the award for Venable. He took over in 2025 and the White Sox improved by 19 wins that season, only to turn around and improve by 24 more wins this past season. They were arguably the most surprising playoff team in 2026 and Venable gets his due here.
| Manager | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Venable, White Sox | 15 | 11 | 3 | 111 |
| Kevin Cash, Rays | 12 | 12 | 2 | 98 |
| Chad Tracy, Red Sox | 3 | 5 | 17 | 47 |
| Stephen Vogt, Guardians | 1 | 6 | 9 | |
| Aaron Boone, Yankees | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Joe Espada, Astros | 1 | 1 |
Venable joins the following White Sox manager of the year winners:
- Ozzie Guillen, 2005
- Jerry Manuel, 2000
- Gene Lamont, 1993
- Jeff Torborg, 1990
- Tony La Russa, 1983
Cash finishes as the runner-up in a very close vote. Venable got 15 of the 30 first-place votes while Cash got 12. Tracy finishes in third place, with Guardians manager Stephen Vogt fourth and Yankees' skipper Aaron Boone sitting fifth.
Cash's Rays improved by 21 games to win an AL-best 98 and win the AL East after finishing in fourth place in 2025. Tracy took over the Red Sox after Alex Cora started 10-17 and was fired. Tracy went 77-58 and earned the second AL wild card.
