John Schneider — Toronto Blue Jays
The average baseball fan outside of the Toronto area has probably never heard of Montoyo. Montoyo, the longstanding manager of the Triple-A Durham Bulls, is expected to lead the Blue Jays to the postseason in his fourth season as manager. Montoyo helped lead a young squad to the extended postseason in ’20 after a difficult first year with the club (67-95). The Jays arrived earlier than predicted and were poised for a big year in 2021. Despite playing more than half of their home games overseas from Canada, the Blue Jays finished 91-71. Toronto ended one game off of a playoff berth, but made even more roster improvements this offseason (Kevin Gausman and Matt Chapman). Montoyo will be charged with leading a star-studded lineup back into contention for the title… Montoyo was fired after a 46-42 start to the season and was replaced by John Schneider. Schneider is unlikely to be retained as manager in 2023, barring a deep postseason run.
John Schneider — Toronto Blue Jays
Phil Nevin — Los Angeles Angels
Joe Maddon, a three-time Manager of the Year, has enjoyed success at every stop of his managing career – except with the Angels. Maddon led the Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series in 2008 and had five seasons with at least 90 wins. Maddon subsequently proceeded to Chicago and led the Cubs to three straight NLCS trips before winning the World Series in 2016. Maddon led the Angels with two generational talents in their prime, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. After opening the season 27-17, the Angels lost 12 consecutive games, prompting Maddon’s resignation. Phil Nevin, a former Major League Baseball player, has been named interim manager. Before joining the Angels, Nevin managed in the Minors for seven years and was the Yankees’ third base coach for four years.
Phil Nevin — Los Angeles Angels
Mark Kotsay — Oakland Athletics
After longtime manager Bob Melvin left for San Diego, the A’s were left without a manager for the first time since 2012. Oakland’s brass chose former Athletic utility guy Mark Kotsay, who played for the team for four seasons (2004-2007) during the course of his 17-year career. Kotsay has been tasked with ushering in a new age of Oakland Athletic baseball, which is an unpleasant task. This team is very lacking in talent. However, this implies that the front office will be a little more forgiving of Kotsay’s early results. Kotsay will have the freedom to experiment with a team that enters ’22 with no expectations.
Mark Kotsay — Oakland Athletics
Rob Thomson — Philadelphia Phillies
Joe Girardi returned to lead the Philadelphia Phillies after a two-year absence. Girardi established himself in New York, leading the Bronx Bombers to the World Series triumph in 2009 and compiling an overall record of 910-710 in ten seasons. The Phillies failed to make the playoffs in his first two years with the team, finishing 110-112 overall. Girardi was fired after the Phillies began the 2022 season with a record of 22-29. Rob Thomson steps forward. Thomson has been Philadelphia’s bench coach for the past five seasons and was a Yankees assistant from 2008 to 2017. Let’s see what he’s capable of as a manager.
Rob Thomson — Philadelphia Phillies
Oliver Marmol — St. Louis Cardinals
After Mike Shildt was fired, the Cardinals looked to a familiar face to fill the vacant managerial position. Oliver Marmol is a former Cardinals draft pick who was with the team from 2007 to 2010. The Cardinals hired Marmol as their first base coach in 2017, and he’s remained with the team ever since, most recently as the bench coach. In St. Louis, Marmol will have to fill some huge shoes. Shildt took the team to the playoffs in all three seasons, but was sacked after a 90-win season. If Marmol fails to deliver, the Cardinals could be looking for a new manager in a matter of months.
Oliver Marmol — St. Louis Cardinals
Derek Shelton — Pittsburgh Pirates
Following Clint Hurdle’s departure at the end of the 2019 season, Derek Shelton was named as the team’s replacement. Shelton has guided the Pirates to an 80-142 record and successive last-place finishes in the NL Central since joining the team. Of course, Shelton’s managerial abilities cannot be blamed completely. Pittsburgh’s front staff appears to have dealt away all of its most gifted players. The Pirates already have one of the league’s least talented teams, and it might get considerably worse if the franchise follows through on moving standout CF Bryan Reynolds. You have to sympathize with Shelton. He wasn’t given a chance to succeed with this team.
Derek Shelton — Pittsburgh Pirates
Brandon Hyde — Baltimore Orioles
Brandon Hyde took over as manager of the Baltimore Orioles in 2019, with perhaps the poorest roster in MLB. With the highly respected Buck Showalter as manager, the Orioles lost 117 games in 2017. In his first year, Baltimore improved by seven victories and flirted with a.500 record in the abbreviated 2020 season (25-35). Last year, Hyde’s Orioles returned to Earth. Baltimore finished fifth in baseball’s most competitive division, with a 52-110 record. It’s not simple to accumulate wins when you’re up against the Rays, Red Sox, Yankees, and Blue Jays every night. Another season with 100 or more losses appears to be in the cards.
Brandon Hyde — Baltimore Orioles
Chris Woodward — Texas Rangers
Chris Woodward is a name that might rise up the ranks in a year. In Texas, Woodward takes over in 2019. With a mediocre squad, the Rangers concluded Woodard’s debut season with a 78-84 record. As a new captain, Woodward possessed innate leadership abilities as well as the ability to make solid in-game decisions. His early results gave Ranger fans faith that the team’s future was bright. Not to be missed, Woodward is said to have played a role in Texas’ successful offseason. One of the biggest draws for $300 million man Corey Seager to sign with the Rangers was the opportunity to play for Woodward. When Woodward was the Dodgers’ third base coach, the two worked together. Being a part of one of the league’s biggest offseason signings is an impressive accomplishment for Woodward.
Chris Woodward — Texas Rangers
Torey Lovullo — Arizona Diamondbacks
It seems like an eternity ago that Arizona manager Torey Lovullo was named National League Manager of the Year. Lovullo led the team to a 93-69 record in his first year as manager, culminating in their most recent postseason berth. Lovullo followed that up with back-to-back winning seasons, but he appears to have lost his way since then. Because the Diamondbacks aren’t constructed to compete with the other NL West powers, fans would like to see the team’s younger players given more playing time. However, Lovullo has remained loyal to Arizona’s veterans, stifling the growth of younger players on the team.
Torey Lovullo — Arizona Diamondbacks
Mike Matheny — Kansas City Royals
Mike Matheny was fired by the Cardinals in the midst of a 47-46 season after six consecutive winning seasons. Despite joining the Cardinals a year after Albert Pujols left for the Angels, Matheny was a huge success in St. Louis. Matheny led the Cardinals to the NL Pennant in his second season as manager, despite low expectations. Matheny guided St. Louis to three division titles and four postseason appearances in all. Matheny took a year off after his Cardinals career was cut short before rejoining the Kansas City Royals. Taking over for an inexperienced team, Matheny guided the Royals to a respectable 26-34 record in 20. He followed that up with a 74-win season in ’21, exceeding most Royals offseason forecasts. Matheny is particularly skilled at nurturing young players. He may have the Royals in the playoffs as early as this year.
Mike Matheny — Kansas City Royals
David Bell — Cincinnati Reds
Bell has proven to be a successful coach in his first two years with the Reds, following in his father Buddy’s footsteps as a manager. Bell’s team won 75 games in its first season but advanced to the playoffs the following year. In ’21, Bell’s Reds had the best record among NL clubs that did not make the playoffs. Bell appears to be liked by his players, and he surely has a lot of emotion, as proven by 16 ejections in three years.
David Bell — Cincinnati Reds
David Ross — Chicago Cubs
The third-year manager guided Chicago to the NL Central title in 2020 before completing 71-91 last season. Expectations are low for the Cubs starting the season with a squad that pales in contrast to the division leaders (Milwaukee and St. Louis). Anything less than a third-place result, though, would be a disappointment. Ross, given his track record, should be able to lead his team to more victories than the Pirates or Reds.
David Ross — Chicago Cubs
Tony La Russa — Chicago White Sox
Many people in baseball were surprised when the White Sox sacked Rick Renteria and replaced manager with Tony La Russa. La Russa, a Hall of Fame manager with three World Series championships — one with Oakland and two with St. Louis — hadn’t managed a game since 2011. With the HoF manager being 77 years old, there are questions about whether the game has passed him by and if he is the perfect fit for a youthful team. Last season, La Russa’s team ended with 93 wins and won the AL Central. It’s now or never for La Russa and the Red Sox, who are World Series favorites entering 2022.
Tony La Russa — Chicago White Sox
Don Mattingly — Miami Marlins
Don Mattingly was on top of the world after the Marlins’ first winning season in 2020. Many analysts had the Marlins pegged as the worst team in the NL East before their unexpected playoff appearance. However, Miami’s great ’20 season raised expectations for the following year, which the Marlins were unable to meet. Miami finished with a 67-95 score. The way the Marlins closed the season was perhaps the most troubling. Miami meandered to a 43-69 record in the final four months of the season, looking lifeless the entire time. Mattingly might have missed the game.
Don Mattingly — Miami Marlins
Rocco Baldelli — Minnesota Twins
It all came crashing down last season for a Twins squad that failed horribly. Minnesota struggled to establish its feet early in the season, finishing with a 73-89 record. Though injuries may be to blame, Baldelli is not without criticism. Throughout the season, every team in the league suffers from nagging injuries. Baldelli (together with the Twins management office) were unable to identify appropriate replacements to save the season. With Carlos Correa already on the team, another losing season for the Twins could spell the end of Baldelli’s tenure.
Rocco Baldelli — Minnesota Twins
Bud Black — Colorado Rockies
Another manager hasn’t received much assistance from his front office. When Bud Black took over the Rockies in 2017, the team was on the upswing. After six consecutive losing seasons, Black guided Colorado to an 87-75 record (and the team’s first postseason berth in over a decade) in his first year as coach. The Rockies were even stronger the next year, finishing with a 91-71 record and a thrilling Wild Card triumph over the Chicago Cubs. The Rockies then decided to start trading away all of their greatest players. Nolan Arenado was traded to St. Louis, while two-time hitting champion D.J. Lemahieu signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees in free agency. After the Rockies declined to move him before last year’s deadline, All-Star shortstop Trevor Story got a huge contract with the Boston Red Sox this winter. Colorado has not had a winning season in three years, but the blame cannot be thrown solely on their management.
Bud Black — Colorado Rockies
Aaron Boone — New York Yankees
It would be an exaggeration to suggest Aaron Boone has failed as manager of the New York Yankees. After all, Boone has led the Yankees to the postseason in each of his four seasons as manager, including two 100-win seasons. In all probability, the Yankees will compete for an AL East title in ’22, with even higher goals. Having said that, it is fair to argue the Yankees have underperformed in recent years. Over the last few years, New York has had a top-two roster (Dodgers), but no World Series appearances to show for it. Boone has served as a scapegoat for a club that has yet to win the championship. The Yankees’ fans have grown tired of falling short in the postseason year after year. Boone has until October to make it happen.
Aaron Boone — New York Yankees
Scott Servais — Seattle Mariners
Scott Servais’ career as manager of the Seattle Mariners has been a roller coaster ride. When Servais took over as manager of the M’s in 2016, he inherited a club loaded with ability. However, the stoic manager watched as Seattle trimmed costs by shipping off players like Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, and Ketel Marte to other teams. Servais’ Mariners had gone from contender to rebuilding squad in a matter of years. Seattle surpassed all expectations in 2021 with a remarkable 90-win season. As a result, the Mariners splurged throughout the offseason, signing AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray and power-hitting outfielder Jesse Winker. As the M’s attempt to make their first postseason appearance since 2001, all eyes will be on Servais.
Scott Servais — Seattle Mariners
Dave Martinez — Washington Nationals
Martinez’s first year in office was nearly a disaster. The club won 82 games and did not advance to the playoffs. The 2019 season thus began like a nightmare. Martinez was called out by pundits and fans alike. However, Washington stood firm, and Martinez led the Nationals to the World Series title. With the Nats in the midst of a rebuild, attempting to get his team to the postseason in ’22 will be a difficult order. Martinez’s job should be safe unless he has a 50-win season.
Dave Martinez — Washington Nationals
Gabe Kapler — San Francisco Giants
Gabe Kapler was still on the hot seat heading into last season. The Giants’ manager was in his fourth season overall, and his second with the team. Kapler went 161-163 in two seasons with the Phillies. Kapler’s first season with the Giants saw his club beat expectations, finishing 29-31. After leading his team to an MLB-best 107-55 record in ’21, Kapler was voted National League Manager of the Year. Despite falling in the NLDS to the 106-win Dodgers, San Francisco’s season was a huge success. Kapler cannot be ignored for much longer.
Gabe Kapler — San Francisco Giants
Craig Counsell — Milwaukee Brewers
Counsell has been outstanding in Milwaukee. Counsell led the Brewers to more success over the next three years, winning 73, 86, and 96 games after his team went 61-76 during his interim season. Milwaukee has made the playoffs four straight years and is coming off a 95-win season in ’21. Counsell has a fantastic feel for the game and is one of the sport’s most intelligent decision-makers. Counsell is undeniably talented.
Craig Counsell — Milwaukee Brewers
Buck Showalter– New York Mets
Is Buck Showalter the perfect guy to take the Mets back to the playoffs? Showalter, a three-time Manager of the Year, returns to the dugout after a three-year absence. Showalter’s Baltimore Orioles finished 47-115 the last time he was a manager in the league, in 2018. Showalter has won over 1,500 games in his career and is no stranger to pressure — or the New York media — having managed the Yankees for four years in the 1990s.
Buck Showalter– New York Mets
Brian Snitker — Atlanta Braves
Snitker, the 2018 NL Manager of the Year, improved the Braves’ record in each of his first four years as manager, and Atlanta is one win away from winning the World Series in 2020. Snitker and his teammates found a way to win the one game that eluded them in ’20, defeating the Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS, and went on to defeat the Houston Astros in the World Series. Snitker has guided Atlanta to four consecutive division victories and is the favorite again in ’22.
Brian Snitker — Atlanta Braves
Dusty Baker — Houston Astros
Dusty Baker last coached before taking over for the fired AJ Hinch in 2017, when he guided the Nationals to a 97-win season. Baker’s previous four seasons as a manager had all ended with 90-97 wins. Baker’s biggest flaw is that he has never won it all. Fair or not, that is what he will be judged on in the end. Baker’s first year with the Astros saw his team end with a losing record (29-31)…only to reach Game 7 of the ALCS. Baker’s Astros won the American League Pennant last year before succumbing to Atlanta in the World Series.
Dusty Baker — Houston Astros
AJ Hinch — Detroit Tigers
The controversial former Houston Astros manager is back in the league and ready for Year 2 in Detroit. When the Astros won the World Series in 2017, AJ Hinch was in charge, and the team deployed an intricate cheating strategy during games. Following his one-year suspension, Hinch was hired by the Tigers and has provided the organization with some strong management. There is no doubt that Hinch is a talented manager — probably one of the best — but he will not make our top-5 until he wins without the help of a cheating club.
AJ Hinch — Detroit Tigers
Kevin Cash — Tampa Bay
Kevin Cash is an excellent coach. After managing the Rays to 90 wins in 2018, Cash guided Tampa to 96 wins and a postseason berth in Year 5. Cash led the Rays to an American League-best 40 wins and a World Series appearance two years ago. Unfortunately for the outstanding manager, his decision to bench an unhittable Blake Snell in Game 6 ruined his season. Cash’s team responded by winning the AL East (and 100 games) in ’21, only to lose in the ALDS to Boston. Cash is an excellent manager who will be around for quite some time.
Kevin Cash — Tampa Bay
Alex Cora — Boston Red Sox
It’s difficult to imagine a greater managerial debut than Cora’s, who led the Red Sox to 108 victories and a World Series title in 2018. Unfortunately for Cora and the Boston Red Sox, the 2019 season marked a significant step back. The Red Sox then fired Cora as a result of his involvement in the Astros’ cheating scandal and subsequent year-long punishment. Cora was rehired by the Red Sox ahead of the 2020 season after missing the whole 2020 season… and Boston made an unlikely run to the ALCS, defeating both the Yankees and the Rays along the way.
Alex Cora — Boston Red Sox
Dave Roberts — Los Angeles Dodgers
In six seasons as manager of the Dodgers (beginning in 2022), Roberts has won 542 games, including 106 in 2019 and ’21, and guided the team to five NLCS appearances, three World Series trips, and a World Series title. After a few years of people doubting some of Roberts’ postseason moves, Los Angeles’ coach answered his detractors in the 2020 postseason. On his way to the Dodgers’ first title since 1988, Roberts exhibited a deft touch with the club’s pitching staff and in pinch-hitter situations. With a new contract in place, Roberts should be able to focus on his game in 22.
Dave Roberts — Los Angeles Dodgers
Terry Francona — Cleveland Guardians
Terry Francona’s Red Sox never won less than 86 games in a season during his eight years as manager. During his tenure, the Red Sox won two World Series and established themselves as a perennial contender. Francona, now in his tenth season in Cleveland, hopes to guide his team to the playoffs for the sixth time. Cleveland’s manager has guided the team to five seasons with 90 or more wins, including 102 in 2017.
Terry Francona — Cleveland Guardians
Bob Melvin — San Diego Padres
Bob Melvin patrolled Oakland’s dugout from 2011 through 2021, largely flying beneath the national radar. Melvin guided the A’s to back-to-back 97-win seasons in 2018-19 and a third straight playoff appearance in ’20. Despite financial constraints, Melvin has continually demonstrated that he can compete with the best of them. Melvin will try to unseat two of baseball’s top teams in his debut season as manager of the Padres, the Dodgers and the Giants, in order to make a run for the World Series.
Bob Melvin — San Diego Padres