MLB Awards: 2017 American League Manager of the Year
By David Hill
Few jobs involve being second guessed more than being a MLB manager. Which of those skippers had the best performance this season in the American League, and deserve to take home the Manager of the Year award?
Every MLB season, there are teams that surprise, and teams that disappoint. We spend the preseason making predictions, and analyze offseason moves in an attempt to prognosticate the standings at the end of the year. Alas, we more often than not prove that Nostradamus is indeed dead, and completely miss on the standings.
A number of factors can lead to those results. Injuries, inconsistency, and dramatic performance swings all impact those final results. Teams can dramatically change their fortunes as players mature, or if they fill one of two holes in the lineup. Sometimes, it just takes a manor tweak or two for a team to reach its potential.
Whenever a team overachieves, or underachieves, the manager gets the credit or the blame. It is a part of the job description – making those managers some of the most second guessed people in America. Rightly, or wrongly, they are criticized for every move that does not pan out. The wins and losses are all that matter.
Which of these managers deserve the American League Manager of the Year award? Let us look at the top three candidates.