2023 Manager of the Year: Marlins’ Skip Schumaker in National League, Orioles’ Brandon Hyde in American League

MLB’s annual awards week is here and Tuesday night Marlins manager Skip Schumaker was named the 2023 NL Manager of the year. It is his first time winning the award. Brandon Hyde, skipper of the AL East-winning Orioles, took home AL honors for his first as well.

As a reminder, MLB’s major awards are regular season awards. Baseball Writers Association of America members cast their vote between the end of the regular season and before the postseason, so nothing that happened in October had any bearing on the awards. Here is the remaining awards schedule:

• Monday, Nov. 13: Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll named Rookies of the Year
• Tuesday, Nov. 14: Schumaker and Hyde named Managers of the Year
• Weds., Nov. 15: Cy Youngs
• Thurs., Nov. 15: Most Valuable Players

Here now is what you need to know about Schumaker and Hyde being named this 2023 Managers of the Year, as well as the Manager of the Year races in each league.

Schumaker

Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker was named the 2023 National League Manager of the Year, MLB and the BBWAA announced Tuesday night. Schumaker beat out former Milwaukee Brewers manager and current Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell (runner-up) and Atlanta Braves skipper Brian Snitker (third place) in the voting.

Schumaker received eight first place votes, tied with Snitker for the most, though he also received the most second-place votes as well. That gave Schumaker the edge once the points were tallied. Here are the full voting totals:

Schumaker guided the Marlins to an 84-78 record and a wild-card spot in his first season as an MLB manager. It was Miami’s first postseason berth since 2020, and their first in a 162-game season since 2003. He is the fourth Marlins manager to win the award, joining Jack McKeon (2003), Joe Girardi (2006), and Don Mattingly (2020).

Furthermore, Schumaker is the eighth pitcher to win Manager of the Year in his first year as a big league manager. Most recently, Rocco Baldelli with the Minnesota Twins in 2019. Girardi did it with the 2006 Marlins as well.

For Counsell, this is the fourth time he finished second in the Manager of the Year voting (also 2018, 2019, 2021). He has never won the award. Counsell led the Brewers to a 92-70 record and an NL Central championship in 2023. It was his third division title as a manager (also 2018 and 2021). His contract expired after the season and soon thereafter he signed with the NL Central rival Cubs. 

“It is time to be a Cub,” Counsell said during his introductory press conference Monday. “There is momentum happening here. And it feels close, and that means we have a really exciting future ahead of us, and now it’s my job to be part of taking us to the next level. That’s the plan.”

Snitker led the Braves to an MLB-best 104-58 record and an NL East title. He has received Manager of the Year votes every year since 2018, including winning the award in 2018.

Hyde

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has been named the 2023 American League Manager of the Year, MLB and the BBWAA announced Tuesday night. Bruce Bochy, manager of the World Series champion Texas Rangers, finished second in the voting. Tampa Bay Rays skipper Kevin Cash finished third.

It should be noted Manager of the Year is a regular-season award. Votes are submitted after the regular season ends and before the postseason begins, so the World Series title did not boost Bochy’s case. Hyde won the award in a landslide. Here are the full voting results:

Hyde managed the Orioles to a 101-61 record this season. That was the AL’s best record and the fourth-most wins in franchise history. Baltimore’s rebuild is over and they are firmly a contender now. This was Hyde’s fifth season with the O’s and his second time receiving Manager of the Year votes. He finished second behind Cleveland Guardians skipper Terry Francona last year.

Hyde is the fourth person to win Manager of the Year with the Orioles, joining Hall of Famer Frank Robinson (1989), Davey Johnson (1997), and Buck Showalter (2014). He is also the ninth manager to win the award despite never playing in the major leagues. Hyde played only a few years in the minors and independent ball before getting into coaching.

As for Bochy, he finished second in the Manager of the Year voting in his first season after coming out of a three-year retirement to guide the Rangers. Texas want 90-72 and reached the postseason as a wild-card team. It was their first postseason berth since 2016. Bochy won his only career Manager of the Year award way back in 1996 with the San Diego Padres.

Cash, himself a two-time Manager of the Year (2020 and 2021), led the Rays to a 99-63 record and a wild-card berth in 2023. He just completed his ninth season with Tampa and he has received Manager of the Year votes in six seasons, including finishing top three in the voting in 2018 and 2019 in addition to this year, as well his two wins.