The MLB year is over but the MLB awards season has just started. The comeback players of the year were named, the Rookies of the Year were announced and now, the award for manager of the year has been handed out.
In the American League, Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister won the award in his first year as skipper of the Rangers. Texas wasn’t expected to do much damage this season but they ended up winning the AL West and going to playoffs before they were eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Bannister posted a 88-74 record this season with the Rangers.
In the National League, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon was named the manager of the year in his first season with the Cubs. The Cubs were coming off a 73 win season in 2014 and they turned their franchise around real quick under Maddon. The Cubs won 97 games and made it to the playoffs as a Wild Card team and advanced to the NLCS after beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the divisional series. Maddon has won the award twice before in the American League with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 and 2011. He’s the seventh manager to win the award at least three times.
Maddon posted a 97-65 record this season with the Cubs.
Following from MLB.com.
Banister earned 17 first-place votes and 112 points overall. In second place was Astros skipper A.J. Hinch, with 82 points and eight first-place votes. Twins manager Paul Molitor placed third. Cardinals skipper Mike Matheny finished in second place in the NL, with Mets manager Terry Collins placing third.
