MLB Writer Leaves Door Open For Red Sox’s Alex Cora To Win Award
'There are worse choices'
With only three days left in the MLB regular season, everyone has a fairly good sense of how the major award races will unfold. However, one competition could boil down to the final weekend.
The Athletic’s Jayson Stark released his 2025 award picks on Friday. His choice for American League Manager of the Year? “Get back to me Sunday.”
Stark listed Boston Red Sox skipper Alex Cora among his six candidates after noting all the twists and turns the AL landscape has witnessed this summer.
“At first, for most of this season, I thought the Tigers’ A.J. Hinch was the Manager of the Year. Then I decided Toronto’s John Schneider might be the Manager of the Year,” Stark wrote.
“Two weeks ago, Bruce Bochy had that look in Texas. Houston’s Joe Espada had a case once. The Mariners’ Dan Wilson might be the answer here. No Yankees or Red Sox manager has won in this century, but there are worse choices than Aaron Boone and Alex Cora.”
Stark believes Stephen Vogt will land the honor for the second straight year if the Cleveland Guardians complete an improbable comeback to win the AL Central. He predicted Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy will receive the NL award again, which would mark the first time two managers were ever back-to-back winners.
The Red Sox can’t win the division, so Cora is likely a long shot to become the organization’s first Manager of the Year since Jimy Williams in 1999. But he’s on the cusp of steering Boston to its first playoff appearance since 2021.
Boston is 87-72 entering its final series against the Detroit Tigers, who are tied with Cleveland at 86-73.
Meanwhile, Stark placed Garrett Crochet second on his hypothetical AL Cy Young Award ballot behind Tarik Skubal and eighth in his MVP rankings. Roman Anthony and Carlos Narváez placed third and fifth, respectively, on his Rookie of the Year ballot behind runaway favorite Nick Kurtz.
Stark gave Walker Buehler the dubious honor of his midseason AL “Cy Yuk” winner, but the recently released pitcher fell to second behind Charlie Morton.
