John Schneider Named Finalist for AL Manager of the Year

Summary:

• John Schneider is a finalist for the AL Manager of the Year title. 
• Schneider led the Blue Jays to a 20-win improvement and their first AL East title since 2015.
• Up against Stephen Vogt (Guardians) and Dan Wilson (Mariners) for the honour.

John Schneider’s turnaround season with the Toronto Blue Jays might soon come with some personal recognition, as the manager was named one of three finalists for the American League Manager of the Year award on Monday. 

The 45-year-old will join Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians and Dan Wilson of the Seattle Mariners, with the winner announced on November 11.

Excellent Season for Schneider

Schneider’s 2025 season was one to remember. After finishing with 74 wins the year before, Toronto rebounded to win 94 games and capture its first AL East title since 2015. It was also the team’s best record since 1993. 

The Blue Jays became known for their resilience, leading Major League Baseball with 49 comeback victories. It was a true team effort, with contributions from across the lineup fueling their return to prominence. If Schneider wins, he’ll be the first Toronto manager to do so since Bobby Cox in 1985.

He, however, faces tough competition. Vogt, last year’s winner, led Cleveland to another strong campaign. 

The Guardians surged late in the season, wiping out a 15.5-game deficit in the AL Central with a dominant 20-7 stretch in September to claim the division title.

Wilson, in his first full season managing Seattle, helped the Mariners capture their first AL West crown since 2001. His club finished with 90 wins and managed to unseat the Houston Astros, who had dominated the division for most of the past decade.

Winners to Be Announced 

As always, voting for the award took place before the postseason, so Toronto’s World Series appearance won’t influence the outcome.

The announcement came as Major League Baseball and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed finalists for all four major awards in each league. 

The Rookie of the Year winners will be announced on November 10, followed by the Manager of the Year on November 11, the Cy Young on November 12, and the MVP on November 13.

Here’s a look at some of the finalists across both leagues:

AL MVP: Aaron Judge (Yankees), Cal Raleigh (Mariners), José Ramírez (Guardians)
AL Cy Young: Tarik Skubal (Tigers), Hunter Brown (Astros), Garrett Crochet (Red Sox)
AL Rookie: Roman Anthony (Red Sox), Nick Kurtz (Athletics), Jacob Wilson (Athletics)
NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers), Kyle Schwarber (Phillies), Juan Soto (Mets)
NL Cy Young: Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies), Paul Skenes (Pirates), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers)
NL Manager: Terry Francona (Reds), Pat Murphy (Brewers), Rob Thomson (Phillies)