Heading into the 2018 season, MLB will see six new managers lead the charge for their respected clubs. Here’s a glance at each of the new managers this coming season.
With every new MLB season, comes change. Teams trade for new players, free agents sign with different clubs, and for some teams, this also includes a new manager. In 2018, six different teams will start their campaign with a new manager.
The six teams with new managers in 2018 include the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadephia Phillies, and Washington Nationals. Of those teams, three of them made the playoffs last season (Red Sox, Yankees and Nationals).
Out of all these teams, the most shocking managerial change happened when the Yankees decided to let go of 10-year manager Joe Girardi. This is coming after he led a young and unproven Yankees squad to just one win away from playing in the World Series. Perhaps even more shocking is that had the Yankees won it all, they still would have fired Girardi, according to Sports Illustrated reporter Nihal Kolur.
With the Nationals and Red Sox, both managerial changes made sense. Both teams had high expectations, and despite that, neither team made it past the divisional series.
As for the Mets, Tigers, and Phillies, each team finished well below .500 in 2017. And not much surprise or controversy surrounded the change at manager for these clubs.
The Mets saw Terry Collins resign from his managerial position after last season. Collins managed the Mets for seven seasons and took the club to the World Series in 2015 but couldn’t pull off the championship.
The Phillies fired Pete Mackanin after a short stint as the club’s manager. And lastly, the Tigers fired Brad Ausmus after a four-year run with the team.
Let’s take a look at each of the six new MLB managers heading into the 2018 season.