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The favorites to win Manager of the Year
Manager Dusty Baker helped the Washington Nationals improve their winning record by twelve games this season. Ron Elkman/Sports Imagery/ Getty Images

The favorites to win Manager of the Year

The Manager of the Year award often gets tangled up in perception of a manager’s impact on the standings. Yet when a manager is truly working his magic, there should be no doubt that having an elite bench captain is an invaluable commodity.

Despite this, one of the most debated elements of any sport is how important a coach or manager is, and baseball is certainly no exception. Yet more than in any other game, baseball has evolved into a game where more parts of the game are controlled by the manager than any other sport. Over a 162-game span, a manager has to properly understand matchups, defensive arrangements, gauge the health of a pitching staff and know when to pull the trigger on a game-changing substitution. The very best of managers have to do all of these things to make the most of their available talent and ultimately make it to October with a chance for more.

What manager most effectively made his impact felt on the year that has just whittled itself down to 10 teams? Some are still standing while others have gone home, but each played a major part of where this season finds itself. With the records final and the wild card scenarios worked out, let's have a look at the field for the pending Manager of the Year awards to come.   National League Manager of the Year   Dusty Baker, Nationals Pros: Baker cleaned up a lot of the mess that was left behind in the wake of Matt Williams’ tenure in D.C. immediately. The Nationals improved by 12 games and won the NL East by eight games. Cons: While Baker’s presence made an undoubtable difference, the pure talent of the team did as well. The Nationals’ resurrection came on the back of being in the worst division in baseball and was more of a return to pre-2015 form, when they won 96 games for Williams. Prediction: A big improvement usually pays out dividends in MOY voting. Therefore Baker could be a strong favorite for the award.   Terry Collins, Mets Pros:  He steadied a rocky ship for the Mets this year that found them back in the postseason despite enduring injuries to Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, David Wright and Lucas Duda, among others. Cons: They finished well out of their divisional chase and failed to win 90 games. Prediction: The Mets sustained a higher volume of key injuries than any team that reached the postseason in either league, but Collins likely won’t get the due that he should for helping them endure.   Joe Maddon, Cubs Pros: The Cubs went wire-to-wire as the MLB's best club, winning 103 games and the NL Central by an astounding 17.5 games, the most in the history of the division. Cons: They did what they were supposed to do, as they have the most talented roster top to bottom in the game. This is not Maddon’s fault, but a GM’s success can be a detraction from the manager’s job. Prediction: Maddon should get the nod, because he does as much away from the field to encourage the Cubs' success as he does with the scorecard. But he could lose out simply because it doesn’t seem that he’s "responsible" for the wins.   Don Mattingly, Marlins Pros:  Mattingly proved his mettle as a manager, steadying a talented but wayward Marlins club. The Fish improved by eight games despite a late-season spiral during a badly timed injury to Giancarlo Stanton and the death of Jose Fernandez. Cons: Tough to win the award when the team finishes south of .500 and well outside of the Wild Card race. Prediction: Mattingly won’t make any noise in the vote, but his impact was tremendous in Miami and he could be the first long-term solution on the bench for the Marlins in years.   Dave Roberts, Dodgers Pros: Roberts weathered the storm of a slow start and helped carry the Dodgers up the standings despite injuries to the vast majority of his pitching staff and a slow-to-start offense. Cons: The Dodgers were already at the level they are at now, having won the NL West the previous three years. Roberts’ impact on the team continuing at that level could be disputed. Prediction:  Roberts’ Dodgers were able to play their best baseball after losing Clayton Kershaw for the majority of the second half, amid a plethora of pitching injuries and a sluggish offense at the beginning of the year. Much of that is credit to Roberts’ presence and guidance. He will make a strong push for the honors.   American League Manager of the Year   Jeff Banister, Rangers Pros: The Rangers finished with the AL’s best record at 95-67 and sat in first place in the AL West from May 29 until the finish. They reached double digits in victories against every other team in the West. Cons: In a big year in the AL East, Banister’s accomplishments in the lighter AL West could be undervalued. Prediction: Banister will get a top three finish, but it may be a few slots lower than it should be.   John Farrell, Red Sox Pros: Boston overcame a leaky bullpen via an overpowering offense to win the American League East. A 19-win September — which included an 11-game winning streak — sealed the deal. Cons:  The Red Sox were never short on talent, including a pair of MVP candidates (Mookie Betts and David Ortiz) and Cy Young contenders (David Price and Rick Porcello). So the expectations were in place for them to win regardless. Prediction: Farrell will get credit for successfully navigating the game’s toughest division, as well as for helping the Red Sox pull off a 15-game, last-to-first improvement. But considering the money the Sox put into doing so, it could dampen Farrell’s chances for getting credit for it.   Terry Francona, Indians Pros: Cleveland delivered on its promise from a year ago, winning the AL Central by a decisive eight games. The 94-win campaign was the best for the Indians since 2007. Cons: There really is not much to say against Francona’s effort this year. The Indians ran away with the Central and never lost more than three games in a row. Prediction: It could very well be Tito’s award to lose. The Indians took control of the Central early on and held off charges from the Royals and Tigers late in the year. Francona should be the favorite in the clubhouse for the award.   Joe Girardi, Yankees Pros: Girardi led a midseason reinvention of the Yankees from a weathered, veteran-laden squad to a youthful team that made a late push for a Wild Card spot briefly. Cons: Regardless of the improvements, the Yankees still finished in fourth place and with three fewer victories than they did last year. Prediction: Girardi won’t win the award, but he does deserve some love for pulling the Yanks up by the bootstraps along the way.   Buck Showalter, Orioles Pros: He annually makes more out of the O’s than they probably should be and once again pulled them into the postseason with an 89-win Wild Card slot. Cons: The O’s faltered in the second half, winning only one more game than they lost after the All-Star Break, and had losing records in both July and August. Prediction: Showalter won’t win the award, but he certainly was pivotal in keeping the Orioles from spiraling out of the race when they easily could have. A top three finish shouldn’t be out of reach.

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