Will Venable wins AL Manager of the Year as MLB Awards Week begins

Will Venable won the American League Manager of the Year award, MLB.com announced as MLB Awards Week began. Venable led the White Sox to an 84-78 record and their first playoff appearance since 2021.

The turnaround

Venable, in his second year as manager, guided a team coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons, including a Modern Era-record 121 losses in 2024, to 84 victories and a Wild Card spot. The 24-win improvement from 2025 was keyed by fruitful trades, shrewd signings and under-the-radar Draft finds by the front office, according to MLB.com. Axios Chicago reported that entering the season, most baseball analysts had written off the Sox, predicting another finish near the bottom of the standings, and that the Sox front office was focused on rebuilding and developing young players rather than spending big on free agents.

Award history

Venable becomes the sixth White Sox manager to win the award, joining Tony La Russa (1983), Jeff Torborg (1990), Gene Lamont (1993), Jerry Manuel (2000) and Ozzie Guillén (2005). That ties Chicago with Cleveland for the most Manager of the Year Awards by any franchise, per MLB.com. It has been 21 years since a Sox manager last won the award, when Guillén won during the team's World Series championship season, per Axios Chicago.

Why it matters

Venable is just the third MLB manager since 1901 to oversee consecutive season-to-season improvements of at least 19 wins, joining Hall of Famers John McGraw and Miller Huggins, according to Axios Chicago. The White Sox also won their first playoff series victory since 2005 under Venable's management.

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Sources

• mlb.com: 2026 MLB Manager of the Year Award winners
• axios.com: White Sox manager Will Venable wins AL Manager of the Year after historic turnaround - Axios Chicago

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.