I have to admit I am surprised both Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt and Milwaukee Brewers skipper Pat Murphy were named AL and NL Managers of the Year, respectively.
While both Vogt and Murphy led their clubs to divisional titles in the first year as full-fledged big-league managers, I think the AL and NL honors should have gone to Matt Quatraro of the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza, respectively.
The Royals had a 30-win improvement in 2024 going from 106 losses to an AL Wild Card berth making their first post-season appearance since their 2015 World Series triumph. No one was predicting October baseball for the Royals this year. The fact that they did speaks well of Quatraro. Although the Guardians certainly exceeded expectations this season, the Royals had a far steeper climb in the AL Central.
Meanwhile, Mendoza had the unenviable task of replacing Buck Showalter, a manager with more than 1700 career wins under his belt. While it's true that Vogt was in a similar situation in Cleveland succeeding Terry Francona, he had built his reputation as a player. Mendoza had been part of the New York Yankees coaching staff but had not managed in any capacity since 2012.
When Mendoza was hired a year ago, the press was lamenting that the team did not nab Craig Counsell, the longtime Brewers manager who jumped ship to the Chicago Cubs and was replaced by Murphy. While Murphy faced some challenges, the Brewers did repeat as NL Central champions. By contrast, the Mets were one of baseball's most disappointing teams in 2023 and Mendoza made them a force again.
Alas, the BBWAA saw it differently.
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