Overview
- The Baseball Writers’ Association of America voted Venable the American League Manager of the Year on Tuesday after regular-season ballots were finalized before the playoffs.
- Venable received 15 of 30 first-place votes and 111 points in the BBWAA tally while Kevin Cash finished second with 98 points and Chad Tracy placed third with 47 points.
- Chicago improved from 60-102 in 2025 and a modern-era 121-loss season in 2024 to an 84-78 record in 2026, becoming the first team to reach the postseason after consecutive 100-loss campaigns.
- Analysts credited Venable’s work with integrating rookies, using platoons and relying on openers and bullpen-heavy pitching plans to offset rotation shortfalls and generate a major offensive turnaround.
- National League attention remains focused on Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy as the frontrunner for NL Manager of the Year after the Brewers led MLB with 103 wins, and the award outcome could shape expectations for managerial job security and front-office strategy next season.