How much credit does the manager get for this success? The Red Sox have a loaded roster and the MLB’s highest payroll. Cora inherited a team that has won consecutive division titles. We won’t be able to judge Cora’s managerial debut season until we see how the team performs on the postseason stage.
Yet it’s hard to find fault in anything Cora has done so far. He’s made as great of a first impression as anyone could have hoped for. His philosophy of staying aggressive on pitches in the strike zone has helped fuel the lineup to a torrid start. Cora is pushing all the right buttons managing the pitching staff and they are thriving under his watch.
Most importantly, the players are having fun again. The turmoil that disrupted the clubhouse last year has evaporated into a much more pleasant environment. Cora’s influence has been a significant factor in changing the culture of this team.
Cora won’t enter the conversation of the best managers in franchise history until he wins a World Series title or two. This is a city that counts championships, not wins in April. That takes nothing away from the fact that this is the best start a Red Sox manager has ever had. He still has a ways to go but so far Cora has pushed aside the skeptics and exceeded expectations.
This Red Sox team could be on the path to a special season and if it ends in postseason glory then Cora will have earned his fair share of the credit.