Hiram Moreno
Not only individual and collective performances are rewarded in MLB, but the masterminds behind each team must also be recognized. The Manager of the Year Award in 2022 is the award that will be given to the person who has made his or her team perform outstandingly, and also serves to recognize the management of the team.
The American League has several candidates for the award, and here at JefeBet we bring you the main ones with their respective analysis of their work and their chances of winning the honor.
MLB Top Candidates for the 2022 American League
Brandon Hyde (25/1)
Brandon Hyde’s work with the Baltimore Orioles is to be applauded, as the manager has a team that seemed destined to be last in their division with a chance to give their rivals in the American League East a fight.
After an incredible streak of ten consecutive wins, the Orioles are heading into the All-Star Game break with a 46-46 record and 3.5 games out of an improbable postseason wild card.
It is also worth mentioning his decision to bring Adley Rutschman from the minors, which paid dividends as the team was a completely different one since the player took over the catcher’s position. This improved notably the collective pitching they had been bringing up to that time.
Scott Servais (15/1)
Scott Servais is doing it again. After leading the Seattle Mariners to compete until the final days of the regular season for a postseason wildcard berth in 2021 despite the team shedding important pieces during the campaign, the 55-year-old manager again has the franchise fighting for a wild card to end the longest streak of any team in MLB without going to the postseason.
The team currently holds the second wild card in the American League with a 51-42 record, and went into the All-Star break as MLB’s winningest team with 14 consecutive victories. Servais was also right to call Julio Rodríguez, who has been a revelation this season in the Major Leagues.
If the Mariners make it to the postseason, their chances of winning the award are quite high.
Rocco Baldelli (10/1)
Few imagined that the Minnesota Twins would be atop the American League Central division at the midway point of the season, as the Chicago White Sox were poised to win the division outright. With a 50-44 record, Baldelli proved that the Twins can compete despite being in the midst of a “rebuild” – if bringing in someone like Carlos Correa isn’t synonymous with wanting to compete.
However, the 40-year-old manager, who already won this award in 2019, will be hoping his team starts to improve soon as they have lost seven of their last ten games prior to the All-Star break. Thus, he will be looking to improve their starting rotation for this one, as well as get some stability in it after injuries cut into the playing time of several pitchers.
Aaron Boone (3/1)
Of all the candidate managers, Aaron Boone leads the way for Manager of the Year honors. It should come as no surprise, as the Yankees boast the best record in all of MLB at 64-28 and also lead the majors in runs scored (497), and homers (157).
He has also had excellent roster management as the Yankees have again had to deal with injuries, including injuries to key relievers such as Chad Green and Aroldis Chapman. The solution? To put Clay Holmes as a closer paid off spectacularly.
After being a finalist for this award in 2019, this looks like Boone’s chance to keep the recognition.
