Manager of the Year
Tuesday, November 13
The Manager of the Year will be announced at 6:00 p.m. on MLB Network.
This award could be a bit divisive. On the one hand, how do you not give it to Alex Cora? The rookie manager led the Red Sox to a franchise record 108 wins to secure home-field advantage throughout their run to a World Series title.
On the other hand, some will argue that Cora benefited from managing a team with the highest payroll in baseball. He was expected to win. Oakland’s Bob Melvin led the A’s to 97 wins and a Wild Card spot with MLB’s lowest payroll.
It’s not Cora’s fault that he works for owners willing to spend money while Melvin is employed by the notoriously frugal A’s. Boston won consecutive division titles before Cora got here but anyone who watched this team in 2018 can tell the difference his leadership made. His ability to connect with his players and get the most out of them was the difference between an expensive roster that imploded in the first round of the playoffs and a championship team.
Melvin is a great manager in his own right but when a storied franchise like the Red Sox sets a record win total you have to give the nod to Cora.