MLB: Ranking the Top 5 Managers in Baseball
Being an MLB manager is a tough, unforgiving gig. Which of the game’s current skippers are the best at it? Here are the top five.
There are a lot of components that go into a successful season in Major League Baseball. The talent you have on your team is very important but with that you need strong leadership. The decision making before, during, and after a game is just as important as what goes on out on the field. In fact, that decision making can change what happens on the field. When an MLB team isn’t playing up to its capabilities, you know who often gets the boot? The manager.
One of the most important jobs of a manager is creating great team chemistry in the clubhouse. All of the talent in the world can’t fix a clubhouse with no chemistry. Baseball is all about pairing the right players together, all with the same team-oriented goal in mind. The general manager is in charge of putting the team together but the manager must mend any holes in the chemistry of the team.
In-game adjustments are just as important as team chemistry. There are tough decision points in each game. The manager could make or break the game with these decisions. He could make or break a whole season with a couple of those decisions strung together.
Managers are one of the most important components of the game today. The past matters in these rankings just as much as current success. There is an elite class of managers above the rest. Here are the top five managers in the game today.
Next: Number 5
5. Joe Girardi
Joe Girardi has received a great amount of scrutiny over the years as he has sometimes been called “Clueless Joe.” That nickname is far from the truth. Girardi has been the skipper for the New York Yankees for the last nine seasons. In the past, Yankees nanagers have not lasted as long as Girardi has at the helm.
In a city that demands winning every season, Girardi has brought them just that. In his nine seasons with the Yankees, his record is 789-614 which represents a .562 winning percentage. That puts Girardi 25th all-time in managerial winning percentage. And don’t forget, he has brought the team an American League pennant and a World Series title.
Last year is a great example of Girardi’s excellence. The Yankees had one of the oldest and most overpaid rosters in all of baseball. If you looked at the roster at the beginning of the year, you would have thought the team would have maybe won 80 games. But Girardi used his magic and the team finished 87-75 and played in the AL Wild Card Game. Girardi has truly earned his spot in these rankings. The Yankees are currently in rebuild mode but there is no doubt he will be there for the long haul.
Next: Number 4
Terry Francona comes in at number four on these rankings. He has been a great manager throughout, doing it for three different teams in his career. Francona’s career managerial record is 1,347-1,187, which gives him a .532 winning percentage. The 1,347 wins puts him 32nd on the all-time managerial win list. Francona has received votes in the Manager of the Year race eight times, winning the award once in 2013.
He brought the Boston Red Sox their first World Series championship is over 86 years and then proceeded to win another one three years later. While he was amazing with the Boston Red Sox, he did move on and now manages the Cleveland Indians. He has brought the Indians from the bottom to one of the World Series favorites for this season.
In his career, Francona has been most well-known for his ability to relate to players. He has come into three different organizations and rebuilt team chemistry. He has a knack for getting players to play hard for him. The other great talent he possesses is developing young players, which is very important in today’s age. With the two World Series championships with the Red Sox and the revival of the Indians, Francona has earned his ranking at number four.
Next: Number 3
Buck Showalter has been quite the manager over the past five season with the Baltimore Orioles. In that time, Showalter’s record is 416-338, which is a .551 win percentage. For his career, Showalter is 1,401-1,287, which is a .521 win percentage. The 1,401 wins ranks Showalter 29th all-time among managers. He has also won the AL Manager of the Year Award three times, which places him second all-time in that category.
Baltimore is a small market and the Orioles do what any small market team would do, bargain. The Orioles don’t always have the strongest roster, but somehow they are always in the postseason mix. The one downfall that Buck Showalter has is that he has never won a World Series as a manager. After leaving the Yankees, the team went on to win four World Series in five years. Similarly, the Diamondbacks fired Showalter in 1998 and went on to win the World Series the next season.
Showalter has been unlucky in his managerial career but what he has done in Baltimore has been tremendous. The team has come close to winning the American League, as they lost in the 2014 ALCS. Showalter has surely earned his spot at number three in these rankings.
Next: Number 2
2. Joe Maddon
Joe Maddon has been very impressive in both his stint in Tampa Bay and his current run in Chicago. His career managerial record currently sits at 944-835, which is a .531 win percentage. His current stint in Chicago has been even more impressive. Over the last two seasons, Maddon’s record with the Cubs is 163-106, which is a win percentage of .606.
While he has done that with a ton of talent, it is still very impressive. While he was in Tampa Bay, one of the smallest markets in baseball, Maddon was just as brilliant. He brought the Rays their first and only American League pennant in 2008.
He is definitely one of the most creative managers in all of baseball. He starts a trend and the rest of the league follows it. He had his team dress up for road trips with different themes for each trip. He also has the Cubs in position to win their first World Series in over 100 years. He keeps the clubhouse loose and is quickly becoming one of baseball’s best managers. The reason I could not put him at one is the lack of championships. Even without the rings, Maddon has definitely earned his spot at number two on these rankings.
Next: Number 1
1. Bruce Bochy
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Bruce Bochy has had a run for the ages with the San Fransisco Giants. In 22 seasons as a manager between two teams, Bochy is 1,763-1,728. The 1,763 wins place him 16th all-time for wins as a skipper. Bochy has brought the city of San Fransisco three World Series championships in seven seasons.
There is a strange pattern with the Giants, too: they win it all every even year. With 2016 being a even year, people love to predict the Giants winning it all again this year.
The Giants have had a plethora of players come in and out of the organization but no matter who the organization puts out on the field, they always seem to win.
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Bochy has received votes for the Manager of the Year Award 12 times and won the award back in 1996. Bochy is known for being the best manager at handling a pitching staff. The Giants are never short of pitching and they have one of the best in the game in managing it. They have been very impressive over the past decade and it is no coincidence that Bochy was managing those teams. Bochy is the best manager in baseball according to these rankings.