MLB: Five Managers that Could Make the Hall of Fame

Looking at five active MLB managers who are on a path to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after retirement.

Being a manager in Major League Baseball is no easy profession. The ups and downs that come with a 162-game season often lead to short careers, but there are some managers who embrace the process and become great.

There are the legendary managers, such as Connie Mack, Tony La Russa, John McGraw and Joe Torre, who have seen their legends grow the longer they have been away from the game.

It is hard to look at active managers who have had success and look at them as all-time legends, but there are a certain few who stand out as not only some of the best managers in the game today, but as some of the best managers in the history of the league.

While the managers on this list already have impressive resumes, there is still a ways to go before they are sure to be elected into the Hall. But based on their accomplishments to date, it would take an unfortunate change of events to have any of the five lose the MLB Hall of Fame potential.

The first manager on the list can make his case by breaking a curse that some may see as permanent.

Next: The mad scientist

Joe Maddon has brought a level of confidence to the Chicago Cubs that has been missing from the franchise since the infamous 2003 season.

He came to town and led the team to its first playoff appearance since 2008, advancing all the way to the NLCS, where the team lost to the New York Mets in four games.

He currently has the Cubs as the only team in baseball with less than 20 losses, which is astonishing given it is mid-June. A 25-6 start seemed almost video-game like, and it is clear the Cubs are only focused on winning a World Series in 2016.

The team’s success under Maddon should not come as a surprise, given his success with the Tampa Bay Rays.

He joined the floundering franchise in 2006 and had them in the World Series in 2008. The team went from 61 wins in 2006 to 66 in 2007, and ultimately to 97 in that American League championship season.

The turnaround showed that Maddon could take a young group of players who had potential and turn them into a title contender, which is exactly what he is trying to do in Chicago.

If he can break the Cubs’ curse and lead them to a World Series title, he will become a legend in the city. And with the way the team has been performing as of late, one title may just be the beginning for Maddon and the Cubs.

He has already been named Manager of the Year three times, and that number will only increase as time goes on.

Next: From dunce to genius

Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost joins Joe Maddon as the only two managers on this list without 1,000 wins, but he should be able to reach that mark this season or next.

Yost has job security with the Royals thanks to winning the 2015 World Series one year after being one win away from the title.

He began his managerial career with the Milwaukee Brewers, but could not lead the team to the playoffs in his nearly six-season stint.

The job surely served as a learning experience for Yost, who came to Kansas City and turned the team from perennial AL Central bottom-feeder to World Series contender. The team had not even been to the postseason since the 1985 World Series championship season, so 2014 put the Royals back into the spotlight thanks to Yost.

Yost often receives criticism for some of the decisions he makes, but he has proven to be a successful manager. He took a young, developing team and led them to consecutive American League pennants, and one World Series title.

Yost’s success is rather recent, but he may have a similar path to Maddon if he chooses to leave the Royals one day and takes on a reclamation project somewhere else.

The Royals have had some struggles in 2016, but they are still in the playoff race and should be for years to come under Yost.

Next: The Angels long time skipper

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have had several name changes over the years, but the position of manager has remained stable since 2000 when Mike Scioscia took over at the helm.

He is now closing in on 1,500 careers wins, all with the Angels, and should be secure in his job until he wants to retire or take on a new job with another team.

His only World Series title came back in 2002, but he has led the team to six AL West titles since that championship season.

While he has not won a World Series title since 2002, he has not allowed his team to finish in last place in the AL West one time during his tenure.

That may change this season, but there is still plenty of time to turn things around, which is something Scioscia has been able to do since 2000.

His tenure with the Angels is impressive because of the consistency, and it should lead to a Hall of Fame bid upon his retirement. Scioscia sits 24th all-time in wins by a manager, with 17 of those ahead of him already being in the Hall of Fame.

Scioscia is only 57 years old, so it is up to him how much longer he wants to manage and move up the list of all-time wins, but his resume looks strong for a Hall of Fame spot in the future.

Next: From one curse to another

Terry Francona did the impossible when he led the Boston Red Sox to a World Series championship in 2004.

The team nearly made it to the World Series in 2003, only for Aaron Boone to break Boston’s heart, leading to Francona being hired the next season.

He was the manager when the Red Sox came back from a 3-0 deficit in the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees, which is perhaps his most memorable feat.

The World Series title in 2004 was Boston’s first in 86 years, and he followed it up in 2007 with another title.

Francona left Boston under less-than-ideal circumstances following a late-season collapse and some of his players not taking their jobs seriously, but he has found a new home in Cleveland.

He took the Indians to the Wild Card game in 2013, where the team lost to the Rays. After average 2014 and 2015 seasons, Francona has the Indians in first place in 2016, and looks poised to make a return to the playoffs as a serious contender.

A title in Cleveland, another cursed franchise, would cement his place as one of the top managers of all-time, with his titles in Boston being what he will be remembered for the most.

Next: The king of managers